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:blic document .... .... No. 73. 



riEST ANNUAL EEPOET 



SUPERINTENDENT 



Suppressing the Gypsy and 
Brown-tail Moths. 



January, 1906. 




BOSTON : 

WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 

18 Post Office Square. 

1906. 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT .... .... No. 73. 

FIRST ANNUAL EEPOET 

OP THE 

V>^cM^'^ SUPERINTENDENT 

FOR 

Suppressing the Gypsy and 
Brown-tail Moths. 



January, 1906. 




BOSTON : 

WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 

18 Post Office Square. 

1906. 






Appkovkd by 
The State Board of Publication, 



D. OF D^ 
APR S51908 



4. 






Commnntealt^ ai glassar^stlts. 



To the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of 

Massachusetts. 

I present herewith for your consideration the report of the 

Superintendent for Suppressing the Gypsy and Brown-tail 

Moths. This report is submitted in accordance with the 

provisions of chapter 381, Acts of 1905, and contains a 

statement of the results accomplished to date, together 

with a record of expenditures and certain recommendations 

bearing: on the future needs of the work. 

A. H. KIRKLAND, 

Superintendent. 
Boston, Jan. 1, 1906. 



ORGANIZATION. 



A. H. KiRKLAND, M.S 

D. M. Rogers, . 
J. A. Farley, 
F. A. Bates, 

J. W. En WRIGHT, 
C. W. MiNOTT, . 
L. H. WORTHLEY, 



Superintendent. 

Assistant Superintendent. 

Secretary. 

Field Agent, Southern Division. 

Field Agent, Northern Division. 

Field Agent, Western Division. 

Field Agent, Eastern Division. 



®0mm0nt)amIt]^ of ^assarl^usttts. 



THE GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. 



The jrypsy and In-own-tail moths in their caterpillar stage 
are well-known European pests of fruit, shade and forest 
trees. As far back as authentic records exist, both insects 
have been notably injurious at times in various sections of 
central and southern Europe. 

The gypsy moth has made itself felt perhaps more as a 
general pest of trees of all kinds, while the brown-tail moth 
is more common as an enemy of fruit trees. In fact, the 
latter insect is known in France as " la commune" the com- 
mon caterpillar. So common are both insects, and so im- 
portant have been their intermittent ravages, that the very 
earliest writings on European entomology contain mention 
and often full discussions of their habits and of the remedies 
best suited to counteract their attacks. At times their 
ravages have so increased as to become of historic impor- 
tance ; then subsiding for a term of years, possibly even for 
a generation, they have increased again to notew'orthy mag- 
nitude. The caterpillar plagues resulting from the unre- 
stricted multiplication of these insects have often caused 
the enactment of stringent legislation in many European 
countries, and at other times their ravages have been even 
sufficient to cause official days of prayer and fasting. 

The brown-tail moth has been officially under the ban of 
the Church, as witness the edict at Grenoble, France, in 
1543, whereby the insect, which had stripped the trees of 
the city and poisoned many of the inhabitants, was treated 
as one of the works of the Evil One. Later in the same 



8 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

century Chorier records a legal injunction issued ])y the 
attorney-general of the province of Dauphiny, whereby the 
insects were ordered to "forsake and abandon the fields" 
where they were feeding. Curtis pul)lished in 1782 a quaint 
account of an outbreak of the brown-tail moth near London, 
whereby "the inhabitants were thrown into the utmost con- 
sternation. An appearance so extraordinary was calculated 
to create terror ; it was naturally interpreted as a visitation 
from heaven, ordained to deprive men and cattle of their 
food and finally leave them a prey to famine" (Donovan). 
The alarm of tlie public was so great and prevailed to such 
an extent that prayers were offered in the churches to avert 
the calamity. 

The history of the gypsy moth in Europe and Asia is 
equally full of striking incidents. Thus in 1720 Frisch 
records the stripping " of a double row of lindens from 
Neustadt to Berlin," while Schaeifer mentions the defoliation 
of entire forests in 1752 in Altenburg, Leitz, Naumburg and 
elsewhere as a result of the unchecked ravages of the gypsy 
moth caterpillars. " Some of the common people thought 
the caterpillars grew out of the ground like grass ; others 
thought they were created by the Evil One; still others 
assured the writer that they had seen thousands of caterpillars 
])rought by the wind ; and finally there were many who 
thought these insects were sent as a punishment for their 
sins." The stripping and serious damage to the cork oaks 
of southern France are recorded in 1731 by Brown, and a 
repetition of this injury occurred in 1818. Daudeville in 
1828 described an outbreak extending over sixty miles near 
Saint Quentin, where the caterpillars " completely devastated 
the trees so that they were entirely bare." Later writers, like 
Ilatzeburg, Bazin, Taschenberg, Portchinsky and Koeppen, 
have recorded notable outbreaks of the gypsy moth in Ger- 
many and Russia. Instances like the foregoing, authenti- 
cated by well-known entomologists, suffice to establish the 
status of the pest in its native region. It should be stated, 
however, that, in the careful study of the European literature 
bearing on this subject made by the writer several years ago, 
it was a significant fact that the history of any particular 




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190(3.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 9 

outbreak did not extend over more than three or four years ; 
in other words, at the end of that period the moth was checked 
by natural causes and its damage subsided. 

The Gypsy Moth. 

In 1868 a French scientist, Prof. Leopold Trouvelot, then 
residing at Medford, Mass., imported egg clusters of the 
gypsy moth to use in certain experiments with silk-produc- 
ing insects. The manner in which the moth escaped from 
his care could not he determined by correspondence with 
Professor Trouvelot after his return to France, but the late 
Alvan Clark, the well-known lens maker of Cambridge, who 
saw Trouvelot at Meudon, France, a short time before his 
death, was told by him that he had the caterpillars netted in 
on a shrub in his yard at Medford, and that during a gale 
the netting was torn and the insects scattered. It is a 
matter of record that he realized the importance of this 
catastrophe and promptly notified the public through the 
entomological magazines of that time. No attention appears 
to have been paid to this note of warning, and the insect, once 
becoming established, multiplied with increasing rapidity, 
until in the late eighties its ravages became notable in certain 
restricted districts of Medford and Maiden. By 1889 the 
moth had become so abundant in southern Medford that 
the trees were completely stri{)ped, and the caterpillars were 
forced to swarm outward in all directions in search of food. 
Daring this year specimens of the insect were sent to the 
Hatch Experiment Station at Amherst, where, in the absence 
abroad of Prof. C. H. Fernald, they were identified by his 
son. Dr. H. T. Fernald, as cateri)illars of the notorious gypsy 
moth of the Old World. 

After a vain struggle with the pest, the citizens of the 
affected communities petitioned in 1890 for legislation for its 
extermination, and similar action was taken by the State 
Board of Agriculture, the Essex County Horticultural Society 
and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. The matter 
was presented to the Legislature by Governor John Q. A. 
Brackett, and on March 14, 1890, he approved the first act 
authorizing work against the moth, and carrying an appro- 



10 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

priation of $25,000. The work of com])atiiig the insect 
was l)egiin by a commission consisting of W. W. Rawson 
of Arlington, Dr. Pearl Martin of Medford and J. Howard 
Bradley of INIalden. The early work of the commission soon 
developed the fact that the territory occupied by the moth 
was much greater than had been supposed, and the matter was 
again presented to the Legislature, with the result that an 
additional appropriation of $25, 000 was made June 3, 1890. 

The following year another commission, consisting of 
Prof. N. S. Shaler of Harvard University, Gen, F. H. 
Appleton and the Hon. W. R. Sessions, all members of the 
State Board of Agriculture, and the last named the secretary 
of the Board, was appointed by Governor W. E. Russell to 
direct the work. After a few weeks this conmiission was 
superseded l)y the State Board of Agriculture, which by a 
special committee, composed at first of the above-mentioned 
gentlemen, carried on the work against the gypsy moth from 
May 19, 1891, to Feb. 1, 1900, during which time the 
active Held operations were under the direction of the well- 
known naturalist, Mr. E. H. Forbush, while the scientific 
and technical work was directed by Prof. C. H. Fernald. 
Without going into details, it may })e said that the work by 
the committee of the Board of Agriculture, while dependent 
upon annual ap})r()priations of the Legislature and often 
seriously delayed and restricted for lack of funds, was i)ros- 
ecutcd with varying degrees of success until in 1899 the 
gypsy moth was completely under control throughout the 
district. 

The Brown-tail Moth. 

This insect found its way to Somerville, Mass., in the 
early nineties. The evidence bearing upon its importation 
is entirely circumstantial, but it is matter of record that in 
the centre of the original ])r()\vn-tail moth colony there is 
a florist's estal)lishmcnt which for years made a specialty of 
importing roses from abroad. It is also well known that 
the l)rown-tail moth spins its winter webs on rose bushes. 
Since the original infestation was located in a pear orchard 
adjoining the field where these foreign roses had been culti- 
vated for several years, there is strong presumptive evidence 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT— No. 73. 11 

that the moth was hrouiiht over on these plants. The insect 
seems to have multiplied unnoticed for a few years in a 
restricted area, but in the spring of 1897 it gained sufficient 
headway to show itself as a serious pest in Somerville and in 
a few localities in Maiden, Everett and Revere. The gypsy 
moth employees of the Board of Agriculture did a small 
amount of work against the insect in 1897 while the cater- 
pillars were swarming, but this was discontinued after the 
Legislature declined to take action in the matter. In 1898 
and again in 1899 $10,000 was, by vote of the Legislature, 
set a})art from the larger appropriations for work against the 
gypsy moth for the purpose of combating the brown-tail 
moth. This additional work was carried on under the 
direction of the Board of Agriculture. 

The Former State Work brought to a Close. 
At the close of 1899 the work against the gypsy moth 
was well in hand. Effective methods had been developed 
and their value proven ; a trained and well-disciplined corps 
of men had been organized ; the boundaries of the infested 
district had been determined with much accuracy ; the street 
trees of the region had been freed from the caterpillars and 
their consequent spreading checked ; the woodland colonies 
had been given a severe scourging and in some cases anni- 
hilated ; the moths had been exterminated in many places ; 
in short, the gypsy moth pest had been so thoroughly 
brought under control that a general state of apathy toward 
the work existed throuo-hout the district which but a decade 
before had l)een swept by caterpillar hordes. In 1900 the 
Legislature, through a special committee, investigated the 
management and general policy of the Board of Agricul- 
ture's operations against the moth and came to the conclu- 
sion that a continuance of such work along these lines was 
unnecessary. The report of this committee argued that 
the gypsy moth need not be considered a serious pest : 
"We find no substantial evidence that gardens, crops or 
woodlands have suffered serious or lasting injury, or are 
likely, with that proper precaution or oversight which pru- 
dent owners are disposed to give to their own interests, 



12 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

to be subjected to that devastation which one would have a 
right to anticipate from tliese reports. ... It appears to 
us that the fears of the farmers throughout the State have 
been unnecessarily and unwarrantably aroused, evidently 
for the purpose of securing the cfl'ect of those fears upon 
the matter of the annual appropriations. . . . We do not 
share these exaggerated fears, and the prophecies of devas- 
tation and ruin are unwarranted, and in the most charitable 
view are but the fancies of honest enthusiasts."^ While the 
committee recommended the continuation of the work on 
lines somewhat similar to those of the present act, the prac- 
tical result of this report was the refusal of the Legislature to 
make any appropriation, and the State work was brought 
to a close. 

Unrestricted Increase of the Moth. 
As would have l)een expected, during the years 1900 and 
1901 but little notable damage was caused by the gypsy 
moth, although evidence was not wanting to the trained 
observer that it was rapidly multiplying in woodlands and on 
neglected private estates. It was apparent that non-resident 
property owners particularly paid practically no attention to 
the increase of the insect, and that farmers and others own- 
ing infested woodland areas were unwilling, because of the 
expense, to fight the pest. In 1902 numerous estates were 
severely injured throughout the central district, while wood- 
land colonies of some magnitude had developed from which 
the insects were swarming in all directions. The summer 
of 1903 showed that the moth had established itself again in 
alarming numbers in various parts of the infested district. 
Serious colonies had developed in the woods of Arlington, 
Medford, Saugus and Maiden, and the Lynn Woods colonics 
had assumed notable proportions. In 1904 it was a})parent 
to all that the gyps\' moth had developed to a remarkable 
degree, reinfestcd the areas from which it had been cleared 
and even extended its bounds into previously non-infested 
territory. The caterpillar outl)reak was sufficient to con- 

> From report of special committee appointed to inquire into the state of the worli 
of exterminating the gypsy moth. — House, No. 1138, March, litOO. 



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1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 13 

vince every tree lover of the necessity of concerted action 
against the moths. While in many places in the afflicted 
district the trees under the charge of municipal authorities 
were cared for with considerable success, private estates and 
woodlands in June and July presented shocking scenes of 
devastation. In many places the work of fire could not have 
been more thorough or alarming. From Belmont to Saugus 
and Lynn a continuous chain of woodland colonies presented 
a sight at once disgusting and pitiful. The hungry cater- 
pillars of both species of moths swarmed everj'where ; they 
dropped on persons, carriages, cars and automobiles, and 
were thus widely scattered. They invaded houses, swarmed 
into living and sleeping rooms and even made homes un- 
inhabitable. Thousands of cases of poisoning of human 
beings resulted from the swarming of the brown-tail cater- 
pillars. Real estate in the worst infested districts underwent 
a notable depreciation in value. Worst of all, pines and 
other conifers — altogether too scarce in eastern Massachu- 
setts — were killed outright by the gypsy moth caterpillars, 
while shade trees and orchards were swept bare of foliage. 
Property owners who were disposed to care for their own 
estates suffered and became discouraged from the neglect of 
their neighbors. It was evident that the moth pests were 
in the ascendency, and that they could be controlled only 
by prompt, thorough and systematic effort. 

The experiences of the caterpillar season of 1904 resulted 
in the formation of various local associations, with the object 
of securing co-operative work against the moths among 
citizens of the several municipalities. Notable stimulus to 
public opinion followed the visit to the infested district, in 
the summer of 1904, of Prof. C. L. Marlatt, first assistant 
of the Bureau of Entomology, United States Department 
of Agriculture. After spending three weeks in an exami- 
nation of the district. Professor Marlatt was outspoken in 
urging the necessity of renewing work against the moths on 
some comprehensive plan, which would secure the co-opera- 
tion of the individual property owner, the municipality and 
the State. As a result of the various forces working toward 
a common end, late in 1904 the several local village im- 



14 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

provement and anti-moth societies were organized into the 
Massachusetts Association for the Suppression of the Gypsy 
and Brown-tail Moths, under the presidency of the Hon. 
George R. Jones of Melrose, recently president of the 
INlassachusctts Senate. A strong eftbrt was made to har- 
monize conflicting ideas as to how best to proceed against 
the moth pest; and the efforts of the association, with the 
co-operation of the State Board of Agriculture, the Massa- 
chusetts Forestry Association and various other interested 
organizations and of individuals, finally resulted in the pres- 
entation of a bill to the Legislature to })rovide for the sup- 
pression of the gypsy and brown-tail moths. This bill, with 
various amendments, is the act under which the present 
work is carried on. It w^as signed by His Excellency 
Governor W. L. Douglas on May 8, 1905. 

ScorE AND Purpose of the Act. 
The underlying purpose of the present act (chapter 381, 
Acts of 1905) in relation to the gypsy and brown-tail moths 
is to secure the co-operation of the individual, the city or town 
and the State, each bearing a share of the responsibility for 
the work and each sharing in its expense. (1) The function 
of the State organization is first to secure systematic work in 
each city and town ; to assist in the general campaign of edu- 
cational work against the moths ; and, by means of trained 
em[)l()3-ees, to make a thorough examination of the infested 
district and to help train the local organizations to the maxi- 
mum degree of efficiency. (2) The local organization of 
each municipality is charged with the enforcement of the law 
on private estates and with the care of the public trees. (3) 
The individual, within certain limits of expense, is required 
to destroy the moths on his property, under certain penalties 
for neglect. This general plan of work is a most admirable 
one, but for its success requires the intelligent and hearty 
co-operation by all parties interested. A brief summary of 
the essential features of the act may well be given at this 
point : — 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 15 

The Moths are Public Nuisances. 
The gypsy and brown-tail moths are declared public nuisances 
and their suppression is required. 

The Superintendent of Suppression. 

A superintendent appointed by the Governor, with power, sub- 
ject to the Governor's approval, of appointing agents and assist- 
ants, has entire general charge of the work of suppressing the 
moths. 

Duties of Cities, Toivns and Individuals. 

Cities and towns (under the advice and general direction of the 
superintendent, and by such agent as they may designate or ap- 
point) are required, under penalty for neglect, to destroy the eggs, 
pupas and nests of the gypsy and the brown-tail moths within 
their limits, excepting that such work is not to be done by cities 
and towns on property controlled by the Commonwealth; nor is it 
to be done upon private property, excepting where the owners of 
the same fail to destroy the eggs, pupae and nests of the moths, in 
accordance with the terms of the official notice to private owners, 
noted in the section here following : — 

Notice to Private Owners. 

The mayor of every city and the selectmen of every town shall, 
at suitable times, notify every owner of land located therein which 
is infested with the moths, requiring him to destroy the eggs, 
pupae and nests of the moths within a specified time. 

When the mayor or selectmen decide that the cost of such de- 
struction (on lands contiguous and under one ownership) will 
exceed one- half of one per cent of the assessed valuation of the 
lands, then they may designate in the notice a part only of such 
lands on which the destruction shall take place. 

Failure of Private Oivners to destroy Moths. 

If the owner does not, as required by the terms of the aforesaid 
notice, destroy the eggs, pupae and nests of the moths, then the 
city or town, subject to the approval of the State superintendent, 
shall destroy them, and shall assess upon such aforesaid lands the 
actual cost of so doing, to an amount, however, not exceeding 
one-half of one per cent, of the assessed valuation of the land. 

This amount, so assessed, shall be collected in the form of taxes, 
and constitutes a lien upon such lands. 



16 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Redress by Abatement and Appeal. 

The assessors may abate the moth assessment in the case of any 
private land owner decided by them to be unable to pay it because 
of age, infirmity or poverty. 

Appeal to the county superior court, with special provision for 
prompt hearing, is provided by the statute for any person ag- 
grieved by assessment on account of this work ; provided a com- 
plaint is entered within thirty days of notice of such assessment. 

Appropriation by the Commonwealth. 

To meet the expenses incurred under its moth-suppression law, 
the Commonwealth has appropriated $300,000. Of this sum, 
$75,000 may be expended during 1905, $150,000 (and any un- 
expended balance) during 1906, and $75,000 (and any unexpended 
balance) during 1907, up to May 1, 1907, inclusive. 

For the purpose of experimenting with natural enemies for 
destroying the moths $10,000 is additionally appropriated for 
each of the years 1905, 1906 and 1907. 

Reimbursements to Cities and Toivns. 

1. Cities and towns with valuation of real and personal estate 
of $12,500,000 or more, having spent $5,000 in any one calendar 
year, shall be reimbursed annually fifty per cent (one-half) of all 
further expenditure. 

2. Cities and towns with valuation less than $12,500,000 and 
more than $6,000,000, having spent an amount equal to one- 
twenty-fifth of one per cent of such valuation in one year, shall 
be reimbursed annually eighty per cent (four-fifths) of all further 
expenditure. 

3. Towns with valuation less than $6,000,000, having spent an 
amount equal to one-twenty-fifth of one per cent of such valua- 
tion in one year, shall be reimbursed once iu sixty days for all 
further expenditure. 

Limits la required Expenditure by Cities and Toivns. 
No city or town with an assessed real and personal valuation of 
more than $6,000,000 shall be required to expend in the suppres- 
sion of the moths, during any one full year, more than one-fifteenth 
of one per cent of such valuation. No town with an assessed real 
and personal valuation of less than $6,000,000 shall be required 
to thus expend during any one full year more than one-twenty-fifth 
of one per cent of such valuation. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 17 

Valuations of 1904 taken as Basis. 
Wherever valuations of real and personal property are referred 
to in the gypsy and brown-tail moth suppression law, the valuations 
of 1904 are meant. 

Wilful Resistance or Ohstruction. 
Wilful resistance to or obstruction of any agent of the Com- 
monwealth or of any city or town, while lawfully engaged in the 
execution of the purposes of the moth-suppression law, is forbid- 
den under penalty. 

The Work begun. 

On May 8 the writer was called from New York, where 
he was located at the time, at the request of His Excellency 
W. L. Douglas, Governor of Massachusetts, to consider 
accepting the position of superintendent for suppressing the 
gypsy and brown-tail moths, and at an interview with His 
Excellency May 10 the appointment was tendered. This 
offer was wholly unexpected and unsolicited in any way. 
The writer at once returned to New York and laid the 
case fully before the business interests with which he was 
connected. A release of services having been secured, 
he returned to Boston, and on May 15 qualified for the 
office. 

It was apparent that considerable time and effort must be 
expended in preliminary work. There was no exact knowl- 
edge of the bounds of the infested district ; no organization 
was available for work ; the trained employees of the Board 
of Agriculture had become widely scattered ; the somewhat 
complex provisions of the law required careful study ; an 
office force had to be organized and a careful system of ac- 
counting devised, while tentative plans of work were required 
almost immediately. The only available assets, if such they 
may be called, w^ere the knowledge of effective methods 
as developed by the previous State work, the records pre- 
served by the Board of Agriculture and particularly the 
availability of a limited number of trained men familiar with 
the moths. The services of these men have been of the 
i:;reatest value. 



18 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL :\IOTIIS. [Jan. 

On May 10 the office of the Superintendent for Suppress- 
ing the Gypsy and Brown-tail Moths was estal)lished in its 
present location. As rapidly as possible, a nucleus of a 
force of agents and inspectors was obtained, and frequent 
conferences were held with the Attorney-General for infor- 
mation and rulings concerning the law under which the 
sui)erintendent was to act. During the remainder of the 
month the work of organizing the office and field force was 
pushed as rapidly as possible, a system of bookkeeping 
developed and necessary details attended to. 

Organization of the Office. 

The matter of developing a proper system of accounting 
received early attention. It was apparent at a glance that, 
under the somewhat complicated })rovisions of the law, 
accounts would necessarily be opened with all the cities and 
towns of the district, while other arrangements must be made 
for the accurate recording of the various classes of expendi- 
tures so that their totals might be determined at any time 
without delay. A modification of a system of l)ookkeeping 
which has been successfully employed by one of our largest 
corporations was adopted, arrangements made for the nec- 
essary books, vouchers and records, and letters sent to the 
known infested cities and towns requesting the name of the 
person or board who would have charge of executing the pro- 
visions of the law. 

The superintendent, being unable to attend unaided to the 
organizing of the work, as well as to answering the numer- 
ous inquiries for information and assistance which were 
continually pouring in, Avas assisted in the office by the field 
agent first ai)pointed, Mr. J. A, Farley, late of the United 
States Biological Survey. Mr. Farley brings to the present 
work technical knowledge of great value, while his long 
experience in the former State work against the moths has 
made his services particularly desirable. 

During May and June the superintendent held conferences 
almost nightly with city and town boards, explaining to them 
the requirements of the law and soliciting their co-operation 
in suppressing the moth {>est. 




Thousands of gypsy moth caterpillars clustered at base of 
banded tree. Arlington, June, 1905. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUISIENT — No. 73. 19 

Plan of Work. 

It was apparent that the work must progress along two 
lines : first, to obtain an accurate knowledge of the extent of 
the infested area ; and second, to organize work against the 
moth in the cities and towns where the caterpillar plague 
was already in evidence. Until the bounds of the infested 
district were known, and a general idea of the severity of the 
infestation was obtained, no final apportionment of the State 
appropriation could be made. On the other hand, the need 
of a large amount of inmiediate work was obvious, particu- 
larly in the badly infested central cities and towns. To carry 
on these dual lines of elFort the territory was roughly divided 
into four divisions, each being placed in charge of a field 
agent who had had large experience in work against the moth 
as well as in handling men and in dealing with the public. 
Under these agents were placed a certain number of trained 
inspectors, whose work at first was principally that of ex- 
amining outlying territory, while the agents devoted their 
efforts toward organizing municipal operations in the central 
region. AVhen the scouting had been brought to a close, the 
operations were well under way in a large number of cities 
and towns, and the inspectors were then detailed to follow 
up this local work, to co-operate with the local superintend- 
ents, and, when necessary, to instruct them in the most 
efficient methods of combating the pests. 

In selecting employees it has been the policy of the super- 
intendent to hire only men of experience and proved ability 
in the work against the moth pests. It has seemed unwise 
to employ untrained men in the execution of this law so long 
as the services of experienced men could be obtained. This 
has resulted in the disappointment of a great many applicants 
for employment, but the superintendent has felt that only 
by insisting on the highest grade of efficient service could 
the insects be brought under control. 

Mapping the Infested Territory. 
The problem of first importance was to determine the 
extent of the infested territory. As is well known, the area 
occupied by the gypsy moth in 1899 embraced 359 square 



20 GYPSY AND BROAYN-TAIL :M0TIIS. [Jan. 

miles. In the time which had elapsed ])ct\veen the cessation 
of the work of the State Board of Agriculture and the be- 
ginning of the work under the present superintendent, 8 
additional infested numicipalitics were reported from various 
sources, namely, Billcrica, East Bridgewater, Framingham, 
Gloucester, North Andover, North Reading, Scituate and 
Weston. This added to the known infested district an area 
of 191 square miles, making a total of 550 square miles. 

It was well known to the superintendent that a large 
spreading of the moth had occurred from the badly infested 
sections lying immediately to the north of Boston, The 
spreading of the caterpillars through the agencies of traffic 
is a well-established fact. It was impossible to ride through 
Medford, Maiden, Saugus or Arlington during May or June 
of 1904 and 1905 without becoming covered with gypsy 
moth caterpilhirs, and it was evident that a large spreading 
of the insect had taken place. To determine just how far 
the moth pest had spread, and to ascertain the size of the 
problem on hand, a corps of about 10 trained men was 
organized and sent out into the regions suspected but not 
known to be infested, to the north, south and west of the 
moth-area of 1899. These men had had the benefit of sev- 
eral years' experience in gypsy moth work for the Board of 
Agriculture, were thoroughly familiar with the moth and 
its habits, and were known to the superintendent to be 
reliable and trustworthy. After the territory was divided 
among these inspectors, they were instructed to make a 
diligent search for the moths, and after finding them in 
any city or town to spend several days in scouting to de- 
velop the local situation, and then push on to the next 
town. 

The result of this examination of the outlying territory 
was most astonishing. Town after town in all directions 
was found infested, and not until fall was the outer edge of 
the infestation reached. This border line comprises Salis- 
bury, Amesbury, IVIerrimac, Haverhill, Methuen, Andover, 
Tewksbury, Chelmsford, Carlisle, xVcton, Stow, Hudson, 
Marll)orough, Southborough, Ilopkinton, Ashland, Sher- 
VxnMi, Dover, Wcstwood, Norwood, Canton, Stoughton, 



U)00.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 



21 



Brockton, West Bridge water, Bridgewater, Middleborough, 
Lakeville, Wareham and Plymouth. 

Outside this line a complete belt of towns has been scouted 
without finding the gypsy moth. Briefly, the whole of 
Essex County, over one-half of Middlesex County, half of 
Norfolk County and practically the entire county of Plym- 
outh were found to be infested. As against 359 square 
miles of territory infested in 1900, we now have a total of 
2,224 square miles occupied by the gypsy moth in varying 
numl)ers. In other words, the territory to-day is nearly 
six times as great as when the work of the State Board of 
Agriculture was abandoned. (See map.) 

Presented in tabular form, the infested district by periods 
is i^iven below : — 



1 

Date. 


Number of Cities 
and Towns. 


Area in Square 
Miles. 


1900, 

1905 


34 
124 


359 
2,224 



The present infested district embraces nearly one-fourth 
of the entire area of the State. While, as previously stated, 
a row of towns along the outer border has been scouted 
without finding evidence of the moth, it should not be in- 
ferred that the insect does not occur in these towns or even 
in places farther from the known infested district. It should 
be remembered that a scouting of a week's duration in the 
caterpillar season may not disclose the presence of the moth 
Avhen it is in small numbers, but that it may be readily 
detected later after its buff Qgg clusters have been laid and 
are revealed by the falling of the leaves. The fact that a 
summer scouting: reveals no moths is at best but negative 
evidence. 

The infestations found varied greatly in extent, growing 
less as the distance from the central infested district in- 
creased. The section south of Boston, uninfested in 1900 
and now completely infested, well illustrates this point. 



22 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Quincy and Braintree were found to be generally infested ; 
and in Weymouth, Hinghani, Cohasset and Hull a consider- 
able number of moths were found. South of this section the 
infestations diminished in size, until at Lakeville, Middle- 
borough and Warcham only a few specimens of the insect 
were discovered. The presence of the moth, even in small 
numbers, in these outlying districts is of grave significance, 
since only a few years are necessary for the insect to become 
thoroughly established where remedial and preventive meas- 
ures are not diligently em[)loyed. 

That the automobile has been an important factor in the 
distribution of the gypsy moth within the past three years 
does not admit of dispute. It was impossible to ride through 
the infested sections immediately to the north of Boston 
without becoming thoroughly coated with caterpillars dur- 
ing the spring months of 1903, 1904 and 1905. During the 
current year, in the caterpillar season, the superintendent 
had occasion to keep a rough record of the numl)er of gypsy 
moth caterpillars found on himself and vehicle after trips 
through the infested district, and this varied from 3 to 129. 
Automobiles, with the wide surface on which the caterpillars 
may rest, will, of course, intercept more of these as they 
spin down than a carriage or other vehicle. Where pleasure 
driving or teaming is limited in a day's trip to from 10 to 20 
miles, the automobile in the same time passes over from 40 
to 100 miles. It is of great significance that the places where 
automobi lists are accustomed to stop for meals or sup[)lies 
are most generally infested by the gypsy moth. Favorite 
trips with the automobile are to Gloucester, Newburyport 
and Pl^^mouth. All these places are now known to be in- 
fested by the gypsy moth, in fact, the insects occur there 
in much greater numbers than even in the intervening terri- 
tory. The means of distribution will be more fully treated 
in another place. 




Gypsy moth infested district in Massachusetts : 1900, 359 square 
miles ; 1905, 2,224 square miles. 



1900.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT— No. 73. 



23 



List of Toions 

Abingtou. 

Acton. 

Amesbury. 

Audover. 

Arlington. 

Ashland. 

Avon. 

Barnstable. 

Bedford. 

Belmont. 

Beverly. 

Billerica. 

Boston. 

Bourne. 

Box ford. 

Braintree. 

Bridgewater. 

Brockton. 

Brookline. 

Burlington. 

Cambridge. 

Canton. 

Carlisle. 

Carver. 

Chelmsford. 

Chelsea. 

Cohasset. 

Concord. 

Danvers. 

Dedham. 

Dover. 

Duxbury. 

East Bridgewater. 

Essex. 

Everett. 

Framiugham. 

Georgetown. 

Gloucester. 

Groveland. 

Halifax. 

Hamilton. 

Hanover. 



and Cities infested 
Jan. i, 1906. 
Hanson. 
Haverhill. 
Hiugham. 
Hoi brook. 
Hopkinton. 
Hudson. 
Hull. 

Hyde Park. 
Ipswich. 
Kingston. 
Lakeville. 
Lawrence. 
Lexington. 
Lincoln. 
Lynn. 
Lynnfield. 
Maiden. 
Manchester. 
Marblehead. 
Marlborough. 
Marshfield. 
Maynard. 
Medford. 
Melrose. 
Merrimac. 
Methuen. 
Middleborough. 
Middleton. 
Milton. 
Nahant. 
Natick. 
Needham. 
Newbury. 
Newburyport. 
Newton. 
North Andover. 
North Reading. 
Norwell. 
Norwood. 
Peabody. 
Pembroke. 
PI V mouth. 



by the Gypsy Moth, 

Plympton. 

Quiucy. 

Randolph. 

Reading. 

Revere. 

Rockland. 

Rockport. 

Rowley. 

Salem. 

Salisbury. 

Saugus. 

Scituate. 

Sherborn. 

Somerville. 

Southborough. 

Stoneham. 

Stoughton. 

Stow. 

Sudbury. 

Swampscott. 

Tewksbury. 

Topsfield. 

Wakefield. 

Waltham. 

Wareham. 

Watertown. 

Way land. 

Wellesley. 

Wenham. 

West Bridgewater. 

West Newbury. 

Weston. 

Westwood. 

Weymouth. 

Whitman. 

Wilmington. 

Winchester. 

Winthrop. 

Woburn. 

Yarmouth. 



24 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL :\IOTHS. [Jan. 

Moth Colonies outside of Massachusetts. 
The development of serious infestations of the moths in 
neighboring States is at present of importance to the work 
in this Commonwealth only so far as the danger of the rein- 
festation of our cleared towns is concerned. That such 
colonies do exist outside the State practically confines the 
policy of work in Massachusetts to suppression only, with- 
out attempt to reach absolute extermination. In fact, the 
time when either pest could have been exterminated has 
long since passed. The superintendent has kei)t in touch 
with the developments in the neighboring States through 
correspondence with experts interested in the matter, and 
is thus enabled to present a brief summary of the conditions 

there existing. 

Gypsy Moth. 

At Providence, R. I., there now exists a considerable, 
widely diffused gypsy moth colony in the residential section. 
Egg clusters are common in street trees in many parts of 
the city, and as a result there has been and will continue 
to be a continuous scattering of caterpillars by means of 
vehicles — a scattering which will increase yearly unless 
vigorous action is taken against the pest. The apathy of 
the authorities who should deal with the matter is regrettable. 
If the moth is neglected, the trees of Providence will soon 
suffer severely, while it is quite possible that from this large 
colony a [)art of the southern border of Massachusetts now 
free from the pest will be exposed to infestation. 

After the central office inspectors had located the gypsy 
moth along the New Hampshire border, from Mcthuen to 
Salisbury, the superintendent communicated with State 
Entomologist E. D. Sanderson at Durham, X. H., and 
suggested that the insect probably occurred in that State, 
and that it would be most desirable to have an examination 
made there by a trained man. At Professor Sanderson's 
request Inspector John Sweeney was temporarily released 
from our service, and in a few weeks' time located the moth 
along the coast line from Seabrook to Portsmouth — a 
notable avenue of travel. So far no gypsy moths have been 
found in Maine. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 25 

Broion-tail Moth. 

A single finding of this insect has ])een reported from 
Providence. Prof. W. E. Britton of the Connecticut Experi- 
ment Station, New Haven, states that to his Ivnowledge no 
findings have been made in his State. 

The two lower tiers of counties in New Hampshire are 
generally infested with the brown-tail moth, and Professor 
Sanderson has had specimens sent him from the White 
Mountain region. Notable flights of the moths have been 
observed at Nashua, Concord and Portsmouth. 

In Maine Prof. E. D. Hitchings, State Entomologist, 
Waterville, has found the pest scattered along the coast in 
various places. Portland, Rockland and Augusta are gen- 
erally infested, while sufiicient numbers of the moths have 
been found at Bar Harbor to warrant local work against the 
insect. The moth has also l)een reported at Eastport and 
at St. John, N. B. 

In eight years' time this strong-flying insect has become 
disseminated along the entire eastern seacoast of New Eng- 
land and westward to central Massachusetts and southern 
New Hampshire. Even Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket 
have not escaped its visitation. 

Organization of Town AYork. 

The moth pest had made itself felt so severely in recent 
years in the central municipalities that some of them already 
had local organizations for combating it, or at least had 
made an attempt to destroy the nests of the gypsy and 
brown-tail moths on street and park trees. In other towns 
and cities, village improvement societies, women's clubs and 
similar bodies had accomplished a great amount of good, 
particularly in arousing property owners to the importance 
and necessity of destroying the moths, but, in spite of all 
this ffood work, there were throughout the district most 
numerous and discouraging examples of neglected estates 
where the pests swarmed in full force. 

The provision of the necessary funds for prosecuting the 
work was early urged on the worst afilicted municipalities. 
It was found that in many cases the municipal budget had 



26 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

tilrcady been made up, and that, despite the caterpillar 
nuisance, it was dillicult to secure a})proi)riations in season 
for effective work. In the case of many towns a special 
town meeting- was necessary, and all these delays militated 
strongly against the success of the season's efforts. 

An additional reason for delaying local appropriations was 
found in the fact that many municipalities had already made 
large expenditures before the passage of the act for which 
no reimbursement could be obtained. Thus the city of 
Salem spent nearly $8,000 during the winter and spring 
preceding the enactment of the law, while Medford, Somer- 
ville, Cambridge and many other comnmnities had already 
made liberal expenditures. While the request for addi- 
tional large appropriations may have appeared as a hardship 
to some communities, it should l)e borne in mind that the 
expenditures previously made had resulted in reducing the 
amount of work necessary during the season of 1905. 

In some cases there was evident a marked tendency to 
delay making appropriations and in a few a strong attempt 
to bring the work within the sphere of local politics, a state 
of affairs which seems as remarkable as it is unfortunate. 
The problem of com1>ating the two moths calls for the best 
thought and the heartiest co-oi)eration of every one inter- 
ested in preserving our trees from harm, and it is evident 
that it ought to he treated as a business proposition, pure 
and simple, without reference to political considerations of 
any kind. The cost of the work will be great, even with a 
maximum of efficiency and the utmost economy. While the 
regrettable conditions mentioned have oljtained in the case 
of a few municipalities, the response from the cities and 
towns as a whole has been most hearty and encouraging. 
They have taken a broad view of the situation, have provided 
the necessary funds, have [)laced competent men in charge of 
the work and have endeavored to prosecute it vigorously and 
effectively. In many places citizens having large business 
interests have gladl}^ taken up the burden of directing the 
work, and have given freely of their time and often of their 
personal funds in the effort to suppress the moths. Where 
public service can command the well-trained energies of 



190(5.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 27 

such citizens, efficient work and encouraging results must 
follow. In other places men familiar with the moths have 
been i)laced in direct charge of tield operations, and have 
rendered most faithful service. It has been most hel[)ful and 
gratifying to the superintendent to have, almost without ex- 
ception, the hearty co-oi)eration of this corps of local super- 
intendents, and to them in large measure is due the credit 
for the results so far oI)tained. There has been good "team 
work " all along the line, and if this condition can continue 
and the necessary funds are available, success in the end 
will be attained. 

With the assurance of systematic work throughout the 
district, and that no town's eflbrts should suffer from the 
neglect of the adjoining municipalities, the appropriations 
were as a whole freely made and the work inaugurated. 
At the present writing 95 cities and towns out of the total of 
124 infested- with the gypsy moth have a more or less com- 
plete organization for combating the moths, and upward of 
1,500 men are so employed. In the remaining towns, only 
scattering nests of the gypsy moth were found by the inspect- 
ors, and but little work, relatively speaking, will be required. 

As soon as fall work was well under way, the demands 
on the superintendent's time, both in field and office, became 
greatly increased. Town and city officials in large numbers 
sought the office for advice, while special problems in field 
work needing attention constantly presented themselves. 
To assist in attending to these matters promptly, with the 
ap[)roval of the Governor, Agent Dexter M. Rogers of the 
eastern division was transferred to the office as assistant 
superintendent, where his experience and knowledge of the 
work have been most helpful. 

It is always a pleasant duty to acknowledge help received 
from others. The sujierintendent has sought freely the 
advice of the Attorney-General, the Auditor of the Com- 
monwealth and the secretary of the Board of Agriculture, 
and in every case their counsel and assistance have been as 
freely given. The suggestions of the officials and several 
members of the Massachusetts Association for the Suppres- 
sion of the Gypsy and Brown-tail Moths have been par- 



28 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

ticuLirly helpful. Fiiiully, the superintendent is glad to 
acknowledge his o])ligation to field agents F. A. Bates, J. 
W. Enwright, C. W. Minott and L. H. Worthley, in charge 
of the four divisions, men who have ])rought to this work 
a thorough training and well-ripened judgment, and who 
have been at all times closely in touch with the field opera- 
tions. The superintendent's thanks are also due to the 
local superintendents of the various cities and towns, and 
to the inspectors employed by the central office, for hearty 
co-operation and faithful service. 

Policy of Work against Each Species of Moth. 

As soon as the size of the gypsy moth infested area w'as 
determined, it ])ecame necessary to decide on the course to 
follow with reference to each species of moth. The g3'psy 
moth had been found from the New Hampshire line to Ikiz- 
zard's Bay and westward to Marlborough. Outside the 
State it was known to exist at Providence, R. I., and to be 
scattered along the New Hampshire scacoast to Portsmouth. 
The brown-tail moth had been reported at Amherst, and was 
known to occur at Fitchburg and Worcester. It extended 
south to Cape Cod and north throughout southern New Hamp- 
shire and along the Maine coast to Eastport, thus having a 
much wider distribution than the gypsy moth. Since the 
funds available were wholly insufficient to cope with both 
pests, it was decided to adopt the })olicy of suppressing the 
gypsy moth so far as possible wherever it occurred, and to 
confine work against the brown-tail moth to clearing street 
trees and trees around or near residences. The following 
reasons governed the decision : — 

1. The gypsy moth spreads slowly, almost entirely by the 
agencies of traffic. The female moth does not fly. 

The brown-tail moth is a strong flyer and is borne by the 
W'ind for many miles. 

2. The gypsy moth is a serious pest of all trees, both 
deciduous and coniferous, and attacks all shrubs and some- 
times even crops. 

The l)rown-tail moth attacks deciduous trees, and is mainly 
a pest of fruit trees and oaks. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT— No. 73. 29 

3. The gypsy moth is often hard to find, even when abun- 
dant, and its treatment calls for a high degree of skill as well 
as a liberal outlay of money. 

The brown-tail moth is easily found in winter when its 
webs are prominent at the tips of twigs. Its destruction is 
relatively inexpensive and calls for no particular skill. 

4. But few gypsy moths are likely to reach iSIassachusetts 
from the small colonies outside the State. 

A strong northerly wind during the flying season would 
blow into Massachusetts multitudes of brown-tail moths from 
the now badly infested New Hampshire border and from 
southwestern Maine. 

The facts being as above stated, it seemed to the superin- 
tendent unwise to authorize large expenditures of money in 
combatins: the brown-tail moth in woodlands, while in the 
case of the slow-spreading and more dangerous gypsy moth 
it was obvious that every possible etFort should be made to 
stamp it out wherever it occurred. It was therefore decided 
to urge upon the local superintendents of work the necessity 
of destroying the brown-tail moth on street trees, and of 
insisting that every property owner destroy the pest on his 
house lot and in his orchard, should he have one. In this 
way the street trees are protected from injury by the cater- 
pillars, and the danger from caterpillar poisoning, at least 
from this source, is done away with for next season. This, 
it seemed, was all that could be done against the brown-tail 
moth . 

AVith the gypsy moth it was decided to follow practically 
the same lines with regard to shade trees and private estates, 
and, in addition, to make a special effort to protect all road- 
side trees, whether in the centres of population or in the 
outlying country. The matter of prime importance in con- 
nection with the gypsy moth is to prevent its farther spread 
as the result of the dropping of caterpillars on vehicles. So 
long as the street trees in our badly infested cities and towns 
remain infested by the insect, just so long will the cater- 
pillars spin down in May and June and be carried long 
distances by the agencies of traffic over the road. It is 
imperative, therefore, that street trees and roadsides most 



30 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL :M0THS. [Jan. 

frequented for travel shall be kept free from the moth pest, 
and this has been the first effort of the present administra- 
tion. In the central infested cities and towns a stronir effort 
has been made to clear the street trees of the gyi)sy moth 
egg clusters, and in outlying districts wherever infestations 
occurred by roadsides the brush has Ijeen cut and burned and 
the trees remaining thoroughly treated. So long as roadside 
brush remains infested by the gypsy moth, just so long will 
it be practically impossible to keep the street trees free from 
these insects. The suj^erintendent regrets that in carrying 
out this work it will be necessary to sacrifice for a time 
a considerable amount of roadside shrubbery, yet if this 
shrubbery is left in its present infested condition it will be 
killed in a few years by the moths. By cutting and burn- 
ing it now, the shade trees will be protected, their continued 
infestation prevented and the moth pest destroyed. After 
these roadsides become free from the moth, nature in a few 
years will restore them to their former condition. 

Many cases have arisen where badly infested woodland 
adjoins roadsides, and in the spring months yields large 
swarms of caterpillars to be carried away by every passing 
vehicle. In such cases an effort has been made to thin out 
such woodland and treat the moth nosts along the road 
borders so as to establish a zone of safety from 50 to 100 
feet wide, and thus do away with farther scattering of the 
insect. In the town of Saugus, for example, several wood- 
land colonies abut on the })ublic highways. From trees 
which overhang the road the caterpillars drop on passing 
vehicles. It is })ractically impossil)le to keep the central 
residential districts of Saugus free froin the moth while 
these colonies exist, to say nothing of the adjoining towns 
of Wakefield, Lynnfield, Lynn, llevere. Maiden and Mel- 
rose. In the case of these woodland colonies we have 
deemed it advisable to establish })rotective belts as above 
mentioned without reference to the action of the owners 
of the infested estates, who later on will be called upon 
to carry out the provisions of the act on the remaining 
untreated property. 

The act under which work against the moth pests is be- 



1906.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 



ol 



in<r conducted requires the superintendent to " separate, so 
far as is practicable, the expenditures on work against the 
gypsy moth and those on work against the brown-tail moth 
in each city and town." Since the law does not give the 
superintendent control over the form in which reports from 
cities and towns shall be rendered, it has i)een impossible to 
make such division of expenditures. Repeated letters have 
been sent to city and town treasurers and to the local super- 
intendents in charge of the work, but it has been practically 
impossible to obtain the information desired. 



Financial Statement. 
The law requires the superintendent to present his annual 
report "on or before the third Wednesday in January of 
each year." It has been impossible to obtain from several 
cities and towns the complete record of their expenses under 
the act. The following report includes the records of the 
expenditures for work performed previous to Jan. 1, 190(3. 
The balance of the appropriation is apparent rather than 
real, and w\\\ be practically expended during the month of 
January in additional reimbursements to those towns wiiose 
records as yet are incomplete. 



Appropriation May 8, 1905, . 

Office expenses : — 
Management, . . . . 
Salaries of clerks, .... 

Rent 

Stationery and postage, 

Printing, 

Supplies, furniture, etc , 

Expert advice, .... 

Sundries, 

Field expenses : — 
Wages of employees, 
Travelling expenses (superintenden 
employees), .... 

Supplies, 

Reimbursement to cities and towns, 
Sundries, 



$75,000 GO 



and 



f 3,1 25 00 
1,292 00 
516 67 
913 34 
951 91 
545 30 
167 85 
775 86 

9,130 24 

2,544 44 

149 46 

40,250 08 

113 50 



60,475 65 



Balance Jan. 1, 19U6, $14,524 35 



32 



GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 



Parasite Appropriation . 
The various expenses incurred in the work of importing 
and studying parasites of the gypsy and brown-tail moths 
are iriven below : — 



Approi^riation May 8, 1905, . 
Services of experts and collectors, 
Wages of employees. 
Travelling expenses, 

Rent, 

Supplies, .... 
Stationery and postage, 
Sundries, .... 

Balance Jan. 1, 1906, 



$10,000 00 



$852 88 

745 39 

116 08 

85 00 

. 122 25 

13 04 

170 45 



2,105 09 



$7,894 91 



The total amount spent in the 22 cities and towns receiv- 
ing reimbursement to the amount of $40,250.08 may be 
distributed as follows : — 

■6,811 76 



Total amount spent. 








. 


Pay-rolls, 








$65,944 08 


Travelling expenses, 








490 55 


Supplies, 








8,655 87 


Sundries, 








1,020 42 


Stationery and postage. 








483 37 


Printing, 








185 47 


Rent, .... 








32 00 



. 6,811 76 

As in the case of the central office, many expenses have 
been incurred this year by cities and towns which will not 
be duplicated in succeeding years. The items of "sup- 
plies" and "sundries" represent chiefly the investment in 
the necessary apparatus for conducting the work. Ladders, 
pruners, axes, spraying outfits, etc., have been required, and 
these supplies, even after a proper allowance for deprecia- 
tion, will be available for use for several years to come. 

Condition of the Infested District. 
In describing the infested district, a natural division in- 
cludes the central and the outer towns and cities. By the 
" centra] towns" are meant those comprising the centre of 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 73. 33 

infestation, and naturally the ones most thoroughly infested 
h}^ the gypsy and brown-tail moths. The term "outer 
towns " includes those lying outside of this central badly 
infested district. 

The degree of infestation varies in these latter towns from 
those which are generally infested lying on the border of the 
central district to the outer towns, such as Carlisle, South- 
lK)rough, Hopkinton, Stoughton, etc., where only a few 
gypsy moth nests have been found. In each case the report 
is l)ased upon an examination by an inspector from this office, 
supi)lemented by data furnished by the local superintendent. 

The annual initial expenditure required to insure reim- 
bursement by the State, both in 1905 and 1906, is given in 
the case of each municipality. 

Central Towns. 

Arlington. 

Walter R. Caswell, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . f 1,978 25 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 3,956 49 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 10,484 57 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, . , . . , 

This town is now as seriously infested as any in the dis- 
trict. The gypsy and brown-tail moths can be found through 
practically the entire area, while the woodland colonies are 
of notable size and importance. A great deal of good work 
has been done here by the local authorities in past years, 
but, in spite of this, the moths have gained rapidly in num- 
ber. Spraying operations were carried on by the tree w^arden 
in certain badly infested sections, and early in July the pres- 
ent local superintendent was appointed, since which time the 
work has been pushed vigorously and in a very satisfac- 
tory manner. The trees on the main streets were burlapped 
and attended, and a large amount of clearing has been done 
in the Menotomy Rocks Park. The brush has been cleared 
from the infested roadsides and the street trees throuohout 
the town have been cleaned of both species of the moths. 

The town officials and leading property owners have showai 
a strong desire to co-operate with the local work in every 



34 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

way. The town has already made a liberal provision for 
the work in 190G, which will include a campaign of burlap- 
ping, spraying, banding and fall cleaning. From the large 
amount of traffic which finds its way through Arlington the 
condition of the town is of serious importance to the sur- 
rounding country, and every effort will be made to bring the 
pests under control here at the earliest possible moment. 

Belmont. 

F. D. Chant, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before i-eimbursement, . . . $1,105 21 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,210 42 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 4,396 51 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 3,291 30 

While much good work has been done on private estates 
and on town trees in recent years, the woodland colonies 
in Belmont have increased to formidable proportions. The 
work of the past season has been handled by a contractor, 
and has consisted of spraying, burlapping, fall cleaning of 
trees and cutting brush alono- infested roadsides and on other 
town property. Aside from the woodland colonies this town 
is now in condition where thorough-going measures can be 
employed to great advantage. It is hoped that at least a 
part of the infested woodlands may receive attention before 
next spring. 

There has been in evidence a very general desire on the 
part of the citizens to co-operate with the town officials in 
clearing the moths from their own estates. 

Beverly. 

Frank W. Hammond, ImcuI Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 3,600 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, ..... 

Beverly is generally infested hy the gypsy moth, in spite 
of the good work done by the local improvement association 
and numerous public-spirited individuals. The city is much 
in favor as a sununer resort, and there is a sfreat amount of 



1906.] PUBLIC document—No. 73. 35 

pleasure driving through it in the caterpillar season. The 
work on street trees has been prosecuted with vigor, and at 
the })resent writing about three-fourths of them have been 
cleared of both species of moths. In badly infested sections 
the roadside brush has been cut and the trees put in con- 
dition for burlapping next season. The most disquieting 
feature in the situation is the general infestation of the wood- 
land. There is in this city a large area of fine woodland in 
which there are many old-growth trees. Since the gypsy 
moth has now estal)lishcd itself so generally in the wood- 
land, a great deal of thorough work will be necessary to keep 
it under control. The work of next season should include 
l)urlapping the street trees of the entire city and spraying 
in the badly infested sections. 

The people of Beverly have shown a most commendable 
public spirit and have co-operated fully with the State super- 
intendent. 

Boston. 

William Doogue and J. A. Pettigrew, Local Superintendents. 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 

1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 4,798 56 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

In the city of Boston the work of caring for the trees on 
streets and in the Public Garden, Common and public 
squares has been carried on by Superintendent of Public 
Grounds William Doogue, while the parks and boulevards 
have received the attention of Superintendent of Parks J. 
A. Pettigrew. The entire city may be said to be generally 
infested by both gypsy and brown-tail moths, the gypsy 
moth colonies at East Boston l)eing of dangerous size. In 
the old gypsy moth colonies at Sargent Street, Dorchester, 
and Franklin Park, which were so thoroughly treated by the 
employees of the State Board of Agriculture, but few moths 
have been found. In recent years a great deal of work 
against the moths has been done by the city authorities, and, 
to some extent, by owners of [)rivate estates ; but so many 
estates have been neglected that the insects have become 
thoroughly established and widely scattered. The Fenway, 



36 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

with its great masses of beautiful shrubbery, is badly in- 
fested with the gypsy moth and should be sprayed next 
season. At East Boston and Orient Heights the situation 
is even more serious. Unless very thorough Avork is done 
here before the hatching period, a great deal of damage will 
be caused by the gypsy moth caterpillars. Throughout the 
entire city the brown-tail moth is present in large numbers. 
The principal danger in the situation in Boston is the 
general infestation of private estates, and the apathy both of 
resident and non-resident property owners. A vigorous en- 
forcement of the law^ will be necessary in order to keep the 
moths under control. So long as the private estates remain 
badly infested, so long will the efficient work of the city 
departments be undone each year, with consequent increas- 
ing expense to the taxpayers. If the moths are to be con- 
trolled in Boston, it is absolutely necessary not only that 
the law be vigorously enforced against owners of neglected 
estates, but also that next season a large amount of bur- 
lapping and spraying be done. A thorough inspection of 
the city is now in progress, and will be completed before the 
caterpillar season of next year. 

Bkookline. 
UsiF Perrin, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required befoi-e reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, , . . 919 48 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, ..... 

Brookline is now^ generally infested by both species of 
moths, but, thanks to the efficient work done in recent years 
by the local authorities and by private citizens, the insects 
have been kept well under control. 

The citizens have shown a most gratifying disposition to 
spare no eftbrt to suppress the moths, and as a result no 
serious damage by them has taken place. Since the egg- 
laying season a considerable gang of men has been employed 
in clearing the street trees of the gypsy moth, and at the 
present time work against the brown-tail moth is also under 
way. A considerable amount of Inirlapping will be neces- 
sary here next season. 



190G.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 37 

Burlington. 
"Waltee W. Skelton, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $114:49 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 228 98 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 1,628 14 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 1,513 65 

Burlington may now be placed in the same category with 
the towns of the central infested district. In the southern 
part of the town remarkably large gypsy moth colonies exist 
in woodlands, and numerous estates are very badly infested. 
In one section the gypsy moth caterpillars stripped in the 
summer of 1905 some 20 acres of woodland, and street trees, 
orchards and even garden produce were injured and in some 
cases destroyed by them. 

The local work against the moths is well organized and is 
being carried out in a satisfactory manner. The town offi- 
cials and citizens generally have supported the efforts of the 
local superintendent, and satisfactory results should be in 
evidence next season when a considerable amount of bur- 
lapping, spraying and burning out of infested roadsides will 
be necessary. The brown-tail moth is generally distributed 
throughout the town and but little has yet been done ao:ainst 
this insect. 

The principal operations to date in Burlington have been 
on the large w^oodland colony in the southern part of the 
town where the orchards and wood lot have been thoroughly 
cleared of gypsy moth egg clusters up to the probable snow 
line. The underbrush, decayed trees, etc., have been re- 
moved, and the work of destroying the remainder of the 
nests is now under way. In the vicinity of this colony the 
infested roadsides have also been cleared of the brush and 
put in proper condition for burlapping. 

Cambridge. 
James A. Montgomery, Local Superintendent . 

1905, amount required before reimbui'sement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before I'eimbursement, , . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 6,900 63 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, .... - 



38 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Since the cessation of the former State work this city has 
made liberal expenditures in an effort to control both species 
of the moths. From the facts that several electric car lines 
centre here, and that an immense amount of travel reaches 
Cambridge during the caterpillar season, the city is pecul- 
iarly exposed to infestation from outside sources. A fairly 
thorough inspection shows the gypsy moth scattered through- 
out the entire city, while important colonies exist in the 
section west of Harvard Square. A considerable amount of 
spraying was done here during the caterpillar season with 
good results, and at this writing the gypsy and brown-tail 
moth nests have been destroyed on the street trees practi- 
cally throughout the entire city. About 60 men are now 
engaged in enforcing the law by clearing the moths from 
private estates. 

The work in Cambridge has been carried on in a satis- 
factory manner, but much remains to be done during the 
coming season. The trees throughout the entire city should 
be burlapped and carefully attended, while spraying will be 
necessary in the worst infested sections. If the local authori- 
ties continue to co-operate as freely with the State superin- 
tendent in the future as they have in the past, there should 
be no unusual difficulties in controlling the moth pests in 
this city. 

Chelsea. 

Alfred L. Maggi, Local Superinteyident, 

1905, amount I'equired before reimbui'sement, . . . |2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 1,806 69 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

In Chelsea during the caterpillar season spraying was 
carried out in certain sections infested by the gypsy moth. 
The fall examination shows the city to be generally infested 
with both brown-tail and gypsy moths. In the sections 
near the Everett and Revere lines the gypsy moth occurs in 
large numl^crs. On Garden and Parker streets and in the 
Union Park section also numerous gypsy moth nests were 
found. Chelsea is fortunate, from the standpoint of our 
work, in possessing no woodland. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 39 

The local work has been well supported by the city authori- 
ties and has been carried out in a very efficient manner. At 
the present time about two-thirds of the trees on public 
streets have been cleared of the gypsy moth, and the brown- 
tail moth nests will have attention during January and 
February, 1906. 

Danvers. 
Thomas E. Tinsley, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,069 75 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,139 51 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 2,248 60 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 1,178 85 

Danvers belongs in the generally infested class of towns. 
The gypsy moth is found in varying numbers throughout the 
entire town, and large colonies exist in Danversport and on 
Burley Street near the Wenham line. The residential sec- 
tion is generally infested. This district was burlapped and 
looked after with good results during the caterpillar season. 
About three-fourths of the street trees have been cleared of 
both brown-tail and gypsy moths, and the work is being 
prosecuted in a satisfactory manner. In certain seriously 
infested sections the roadside brush has been cut, but more 
of this work will be necessary before the gypsy moth can be 
brought under control. Owing to the general infestation 
of the town by both insects a large amount of work will be 
necessary here the coming year. The street trees should 
be burlapped, and a considerable amount of spraying will be 
necessary in the badly infested sections. 

Essex. 
T. B. Fuller, Local Superintendeiit. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $209 80 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 419 61 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 773 15 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Essex is generally infested l)y the gypsy moth, Qgg clus- 
ters having been found on nearly every estate so far exam- 
ined. Between this town and Manchester there is a large 
wooded area containing a great deal of valuable pine timber. 



40 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAH^ MOTHS. [Jan. 

In this section, so far as our inspections have gone, scattered 
egg clusters have been found. The local superintendent has 
taken much interest in prosccutinfr the work, and has thinned 
out in an excellent manner the badly infested roadsides, and 
has destroyed the gypsy and brown-tail moth nests on the 
street trees over nearly the entire town. The trees in 
the sections infested with the gj^isy moth should ])e bur- 
lapped and receive careful attention next season. If this 
work is properly carried out, the gypsy moth should be 
brought under control at the close of the season. The brown- 
tail moth in this town is much less abundant than in some 
other Essex County towns. 

Everett. 
William Kennbrly, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 490 20 
1905, amount of State I'eimbursement, - 

A general inspection of Everett during the caterpillar 
season showed the gypsy moth to exist in considerable 
numbers over the entire city. The matter was brought to 
the attention of the city authorities, Ijut there was an unfor- 
tunate delay in appropriating money and commencing the 
work. Finally, about December 1, the city work was or- 
ganized and operations were begun in the Mount Washington 
district. At the present writing about one-third of the street 
trees have been cleared of both species of moths. 

The excellent w^ork done in the Woodlawn Cemetery by 
the authorities in charge is worthy of particular mention. 
This work has not only protected the beautiful grove of trees 
existing there, but also, to a considerable extent, has })re- 
vented the spreading of the moths outward into adjoining 
territory. 

The brown-tail moth is present over the entire city, being 
most numerous on private estates. It is expected that the 
work on street trees will l)e completed by Feln-uary 1, when 
the enforcement of the law on i)rivate estates will have atten- 
tion. The operations of next season should include a liberal 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 41 

campaign of biirlapping, spraying and fall cleaning of the 
trees. If this can be done, there are no particular difficulties 
in the way of controlling the gyps}' moth in Everett. 

Gloucester. 
W. D. Corliss, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 2,171 32 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Gloucester has been thoroughly scouted by Inspector C. 
E. Merrill, who found the gypsy moth scattered throughout 
the entire city. The woodland is generally infested, and a 
great deal of careful work will be required to control the 
moth there. The residential section also is generally in- 
fested. Owing to the immense amount of summer travel 
between Gloucester and the surrounding country there is 
great danger of distribution of the moth from the city. 

The city work against both brown-tail and gypsy moths 
began October 28 and has been carried on in a very satisfac- 
tory manner. At this writing practically all the trees on 
streets and public grounds have been cleared of both species. 
It is important that the trees throughout the entire city be 
burlapped another season in order to bring the gypsy moth 
under control at the earliest possible moment. The resi- 
dential parts of the city are thoroughly infested with the 
brown-tail moth, and some spraying against the pest maybe 
required next summer. 

Lexington. 
Cornelius "Wellington, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,165 46 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,330 92 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . , . 3,990 52 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 2,825 06 

Lexington is generally and thoroughly infested by both 
species of moths, but in recent years has had the advantage 
of a great deal of work on the part of the tree warden and 
his assistants. The residential section is infested by the 
gypsy moth in scattering numljers, while certain woodland 



42 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

colonies have reached formidable proportions. During the 
summer the trees along the main streets were burlapped, 
and a limited amount of spraying was done. Throughout 
the southern half of the town the roadside brush has been cut 
and the work of clearing the street trees of the moth pests is 
under way. 

The town officials have supported the work in a very sat- 
isfactory manner and the actual field operations have been 
thoroughly and economically performed. The trees in the 
sections infested by the gypsy moth should be burlapped 
next season and spraying also will be necessary in certain 
localities. It is important that the woodland problem be 
taken up in this town as soon as possible as it is practically 
impossible to keep the street trees free from the moth while 
large colonies exist in the woods. 

Lynn. 

Nathan M Hawkes, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 6,204 4-4 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 1,852 22 

Lynn is generally infested with the gypsy moth, both in 
the woodland and the residential sections. The results of a 
thorough examination of the city by Inspector H. W. Vinton 
have been made known to the local authorities. The Lynn 
Woods Park, one of the largest of our suburban woodland 
reservations, is generally infested. The number of very 
serious colonies here is considerable. The land held by the 
water board in this section is also badly infested. So severe 
has been the attack of the gypsy moth caterpillars in past 
years that over 100 acres of trees have been killed on the 
northerly side of Glen Lewis Pond. During the caterpillar 
season the worst infested sections in the park were bur- 
lapped and attended, although this work would have been 
more etfective if it had been possible to do it earlier in the 
season. About one-half of the street trees in the residential 
section were also burlapped and attended. In November a 
large gang was put at work thinning out the badly infested 
sections in the park. A great deal remains to be done here, 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 43 

and a large expense will 1)0 necessary even to control the 
moth in the woodland. The residential parts of Lynn are 
thoroughly infested with the brown-tail moth. 

Lynnfield. 
Henry Law, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1-47 28 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 294 55 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 1,777 74 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 1,634 94 

Lynnfield is unfortunate in having a very large area of 
badly infested woodland. Practically the entire southern 
half of the town is thoroughly infested by the gypsy moth. 
In past years the caterpillars have stripped large areas, and 
doubtless much scattering of the moth has taken place. 
During the past summer the street trees in the southern part 
of the town were burlapped and attended, and a large area 
of badly infested woodland was cut. 

At the present time the local force is engaged in clearing 
from the street trees the nests of both brown-tail and gypsy 
moths ; about one-third of the trees have been thus covered. 
Woodland colonies adjoining the main roads have been 
thinned out to a distance of about 50 feet from the highway 
and put in proper condition for burlapping. This work was 
necessary in order to prevent the scattering of the moths 
in the summer of 1906. A large woodland colony in the 
northern part of the town has been the cause of considerable 
anxiety to both the local and State authorities. An effort 
will be made to subject it to thorough treatment next season. 
The street trees throughout the town should be burlapped 
and a considerable amount of spraying will also be neces- 
sary. In the woodland sections which have been thinned 
out, the trees should be Ixanded to prevent the ascent of 
caterpillars. 

Malden. 
Thomas F. Powell, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 4,782 71 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 



44 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Upon request of the superintendent the city government 
of Maiden in June, 1905, appropriated $5,000 for work 
against the gypsy and brown-tail moths. The city, of course, 
is very generally infested by the gypsy moth ; in fact, it 
may be considered as one of the worst infested places in the 
whole district. 

In past years a great deal of good work has been done in 
Maiden under the direction of Mr. George W. Stiles, super- 
intendent of streets. A limited amount of banding; of trees 
was carried out during the caterpillar season, and the re- 
sults from spraying were particularly satisfactory. 

As soon as the egg clusters were laid in 1905, the local 
superintendent started a gang of men at work treating the 
eggs on street trees from the ground to above the probable 
snow-line. The border of the infested woodland adjacent 
to the Fells Reservation of the metropolitan park system 
has been thinned out and placed in suitable condition for 
banding and spraying next year. The trees belonging to 
the city at Waite's Mount and in Forest Dale Cemetery 
have been thinned out and put in proper condition for next 
season's work. The local superintendent, in spite of many 
obstacles to thorough work, has accomplished most satisfac- 
tory results, and the property owners throughout the city 
have shown a spirit of co-operation. If all land owners will 
perform their obligations under the law with as much faith- 
fulness as has the local superintendent, the gyps}^ moth in 
Maiden will soon be brouo;ht under control. A g-reat deal 
of spraying and burlapping will be necessary next season, 
and in the infested woodlands now thinned of dead and 
worthless trees banding with some preparation to prevent 
the ascent of caterpillars should be done. 

MANCnESTER. 
Robert A. Mitchell, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursemeut, . . . $2,030 05 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 4,060 10 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 1,121 57 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

The gypsy moth occurs throughout this town, and the 
brown-tail moth is plentiful. In the central residential 



190(1.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 45 

sections the gypsy moth infestation is now of alarming ex- 
tent, and the insect is scattered in small numbers in other 
parts of the town. No thorough inspection as yet has been 
made of the woodland, but gypsy moth nests have been 
found along the road leading to Essex. In the northern 
part of the town there is a large tract of fine old-growth 
trees which is infested in places. An effort will be made in 
the near future to inspect thoroughly all the woodland in 
Manchester. 

The local superintendent has destroyed the gypsy and 
brown-tail moth nests on town trees over about three-fourths 
of the town, and this work has been carried on in a very 
satisfactory manner. The trees in the central district should 
be burlapped and carefully attended next summer. There 
are several small orchards which are badly infested by the 
gypsy moth, and these should be sprayed at the proper 
season. 

Marblehead. 
N. Allen Lindsey, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,420 26 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,840 52 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 2,829 99 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 1,127 78 

The gypsy moth occurs generally throughout this town, 
the worst infested sections being in the central residential 
district. A great deal of good work has been done here in 
past years under the direction of the tree warden, supple- 
mented by the efforts of an effective local improvement 
association. During the caterpillar season of 1905 the street 
trees were burlapped in the worst infested sections. Later, 
the infested roadsides were cut out and burned over. The 
destruction of the gypsy and brown-tail moth nests on street 
trees has been completed and a considerable amount of work 
accomplished by the owners of private estates. Practically 
all this work has been done by a contractor under the direc- 
tion of the local superintendent. The trees throughout the 
entire town should be burlapped next spring ; spraying will 
be necessarv in certain sections. 



46 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Medford. 
John D. Dwter, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . f 2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 12,684 89 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 5,092 45 

Mcdtbrd, the original centre of gypsy moth infestation, 
as might be expected is thoroughly infested by the insect. 
The city offers one of the most difficult problems in moth 
control in the whole district. The entire residential section 
is thoroughly infested, and the large colonies in the wood- 
land in the northern part of the city annually yield swarms 
of caterpillars to reinfest estates and street trees previously 
cleared of the moth. 

Gen. S. C. Lawrence, the largest owner of woodland in 
the city, has for years waged a most vigorous campaign 
against the gypsy moth, and his efforts along this line can- 
not be too highly commended. He has not only succeeded 
in controlling the pest on his own woodland, but, at a large 
expense, has suppressed it also on many private estates. 

The city work against the gypsy moth has been vigorously 
carried on under the local superintendent. During the 
caterpillar season an efibrt was made to destroy as many 
caterpillars as was possible under the burlaps and bands on 
street trees. Following this, as soon as the eggs were laid, 
vigorous efforts were made to clear the street trees, and at 
this writing nearly all those on streets and in public squares 
have been cleared of brown-tail as well as gypsy moths. 
What is more important, the badly infested woodland area 
in the northerly part of the city has been thinned and })ut in 
condition for burlapping and spraying next season. 

A large amount of money must be spent in 1906 in band- 
ing trees in the infested woodlands, in burlapping street 
trees and in spraying. The city is so thoroughly infested 
with the gypsy moth that a vigorous enforcement of effective 
measures and the hearty co-operation of all citizens will l)e 
required to bring the pest under control. 



lOOfi.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 47 

Melrose. 
John J. McCullough, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 6,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 6,945 29 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 2,222 65 

This city is thoroughly infested over its whole area. The 
Pine Banks Park is now thoroughly infested and over 200 
large white pines have been destroyed b}'^ the moths. In 
the eastern section of this park the local superintendent has 
thinned out the remaining deciduous trees, and the whole 
territory now is in proper condition for banding and spray- 
ing. This park is held in joint ownership by the cities of 
Maiden and Melrose, and the actual operations against the 
moths here have been under the general direction of Mr. 
David F. Roy, who has urged that this work be prosecuted 
with the utmost vigor and thoroughness. Over one-half of 
the street trees of Melrose have l)een cleared from the moth, 
and plans are now under way for a vigorous enforcement 
of the law against the owners of private estates. Next 
season a great deal of burlapping, banding and spraying will 
be necessary in this city, and infested roadsides and walls 
should be burned out. If the work in this city in 1906 can 
be carried on with as much energy as in the past year, 
satisfactory results W'ill be obtained. 

Nahan't. 
Thomas J. Deveney, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,064 15 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,128 29 
1905, amount expended i.i work against moths, . . . 230 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

Nahant has received very careful attention in past years 
from the tree warden, Mr. George Abbot James, and as a 
result is in much better condition than many of the neigh- 
boring towns. The gypsy moth has been found scattered 
throughout the town, and the brown-tail moth is present in 



48 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

large numbers. The street trees were sprayed early in the 
caterpillar season with good results. 

The United States reservation near Bass Point has become 
generally infested, and its condition has caused a great deal 
of complaint on the part of neighboring property owners. 
As a result of Mr. James's efforts the reservation is now 
being thoroughly cleared of the moths. 

The street trees of the entire town should l^e burlapped 
next season and sprayed if funds permit. 



Newton. 
Charles W. Ross, Local Superintendent 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, 
1905, amount expended in work against motlis, 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, . 



$2,500 CO 
5,000 00 
1,231 36 



Newton has been infested by the gypsy moth since 1899. 
Throughout the city the insect now occurs in scattering num- 
bers, and there are some colonies of considerable size which 
require most thorough treatment. The brown-tail moth is 
also scattered in average numbers over the entire cit}^, being 
most plentiful in the eastern section. 

For many years past the trees of this city have had the 
advantage of competent supervision, and this work has re- 
ceived adequate financial support at all times. As a result, 
the condition of Newton is much better than would have 
been the case had a policy of neglect been adopted. During 
the past sunnner and fall the local superintendent has prose- 
cuted the necessary work with vigor and to our complete 
satisfiiction. If the moths are to be held in check, however, 
a considerably increased expense must be made next year in 
the way of burlapping, spraying and fall cleaning of trees. 

Pea BODY. 
James F. Callahan, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,748 97 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 3,497 94 
1905, amount expended in work against motlis, . . . 5,253 54 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, ..... 2,803 66 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 49 

Peabody is seriously infested by the gypsy moth, and the 
brown-tail moth also occurs in large numbers. Gypsy moth 
colonies have been found scattered throughout the woodlands, 
and unless suppressed will soon increase to formidable pro- 
portions. The badly infested roadsides throughout the 
town have been cut out and the l)rush burned. During the 
caterpillar season a large number of trees were banded and 
attended by the local force. At the present time the work 
of destroying both gypsy and brown-tail moth nests on the 
street trees is being prosecuted vigorously, and nearly one- 
half of these have been cleared of the insects. 

The work in this town has been well planned, has had 
excellent supervision and has given satisfactory results. 
All the trees on streets should be burlapped next season, and 
spraying will be necessary in the worst infested sections. 

QUINCT. 
Thomas F. Burke, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . f 2,oC0 00 

1906, amount required before I'eimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 1,023 97 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

The infestations in Quincy are of particular importance 
because of the immense amount of travel passing through 
the city to South Shore points. There can be no question 
that the general infestation of the central residential district 
at Quincy has been the cause of many of the gypsy moth 
colonies found along the South Shore. The city is generally 
infested with the gypsy moth, and several colonies have 
reached a point where injury to the trees will take place next 
year unless thorough measures are applied. 

The local work has been well organized and prosecuted 
vigorously. At this writing the work against the gypsy 
moth has been completed on the street trees, and plans are 
under way for a vigorous campaign against the brown-tail 
moth. The most serious feature of the local situation is the 
general and often severe infestation of private estates by the 
gypsy moth. On these places a great many e^g clusters 
have been broken and scattered, and it is probable that con- 



50 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

sidcrablc injury to trees will be evident during tlie cater- 
pillar season of next year. The street trees of the entire 
city should be burlapped, and spraying may be necessary in 
certain seriously infested localities. 

Reading. 

Gkorge F. Sawyer, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $922 69 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,845 37 
1905, amount expended in work against motlis, . . . 2,310 60 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 1,387 91 

Reading is generally infested l)y the gypsy and the brown- 
tail motlis, in spite of the considerable amount of efficient 
work done in recent years l)y the local authorities and 
private citizens. The most serious feature of the situation 
is the sreneral infestation of certain woodland areas in the 
southern part of the town. During the caterpillar season 
the trees in the centre of the tow^n and along the main streets 
were burlapped and attended, with the result that a large 
number of gypsy moth caterpillars were destroyed. The 
work here has been placed in competent hands, has been 
carried on in a very satisfactory manner and has been liber- 
ally supported by the town authorities. The attitude of 
private citizens also is all that could be desired. 

At the present writing the street trees throughout at least 
one-half the town have been cleared of the nests of both 
species of moths, and the infested roadsides throughout the 
entire area have been cut over and burned, thus reducing 
the cost of the work next year. In 1906 the trees through- 
out the entire southern half of the town and along the main 
streets should be burlapped, and a considerable amount of 
spraying will be necessary. In certain sections the road- 
sides will require burning over with oil. 

Revere. 
Jamks W. Bond, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,439 45 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 4,878 89 

1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 3,994 77 

1906, amount of State reimbursement, 1,244 26 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 51 

While Revere does not possess any large woodland areas, 
it is generally and thoroughly infested with both species 
of moths. Revere is the centre of a tremendous amount of 
sunnner travel to the shore reservation ; it is particularly 
exposed to infestation from outlying districts, while, on 
the other hand, there is great danger that the caterpillars 
may be carried from the town and distributed over a wide 
area. 

The town has made suitable provision for the necessary 
work against the moths, but this has not been carried out in 
a manner satisfactory to this office . It is apparent that con- 
siderations foreign to the interests of the work have seriously 
interfered with the efforts to suppress the moths. The con- 
ditions prevailing in this town well illustrate the folly of 
attempting to combat, under local auspices, the moth nuis- 
ance, unless this important work can be treated as a busi- 
ness proi)osition and carried on with a single purpose in 
view. The amount of funds which any city or town can be 
asked to appropriate for work against the moths is limited, 
and the assistance available from the State appropriation 
under present conditions is but small ; hence, there is all 
the more reason why cit}^ town and State officials and pri- 
vate citizens should co-operate heartily in this work, with a 
common purpose and for a common end. 

At the present writing the work in Revere is in an un- 
finished state. The gypsy moth egg clusters have been 
cleared from nearly all the street trees, but little work has 
been done against the brown-tail moth, either on public 
trees or private estates, while there exist many miles of 
badly infested roadsides where brush should be cut and 
burned during the winter. 

The street trees should be burlappcd and sprayed next 
season, and a vigorous inspection maintained over private 
estates. This work, however, will be of but little value un- 
less it can be carried on in an efficient manner and kept free 
from the influence of local politics. 



52 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Salem. 
Amos Stillman, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 5,602 22 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

The city of Salem is thoroughly and generally infested by 
the gypsy moth, and the brown-tail moth also occurs in large 
numbers. In recent years the city has made liberal appro- 
priations for suppressing the moths, and has shown a most 
commendable spirit in endeavoring to check their increase 
on street trees and on private estates. Over $8,000 was 
expended in this way in 1905, previous to the passage of 
the })resent act. 

During November and December the local superintendent 
has had a large gang of men clearing the street trees of both 
species of moths. This work has been carried on in an 
efficient manner and should show good results next season. 
At this writing about one-half the street trees of the city 
have been cleared, and practically all the infested roadsides 
have been cut out. The street trees throughout the entire 
cit}^ should be burlapped and carefully attended next season, 
and the woodland colonics thinned out and thoroughly 
sprayed. The problem of suppressing the moths in Salem 
is a most serious one, and constant effort and the expenditure 
of a large amount of money for some years to come will be 
necessary to keep them under control. 

Saugus. 
William A. Hatch, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 8866 77 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . , . 1,733 54 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 8,922 25 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 8,055 48 

Saugus is generally and severely infested by both gypsy 
and brown-tail moths. Practically all the woodland is in- 
fested by the gypsy moth in dangerous numbers, and during 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 53 

the caterpillar season of 1905 a great deal of stripping took 
place. 

The town has shown a most helpful and commendable 
interest in suppressing the gypsy moth. Town work was 
begun promptly in May, upon the passage of the present 
act, and has been prosecuted with vigor and with most satis- 
factory results. The work has been under the supervision 
of a thoroughly trained man and the results have been most 
gratifying. During the caterpillar season a large part of 
the street trees were burlapped and sprayed ; and as soon 
as the eggs were laid, a gang of men w^as put at work 
destrovinij them. At this writing the street trees throusrh- 
out the town have been cleared of the gypsy moth egg- 
clusters, and nearly all the necessary work against the 
brown-tail moth has been performed. The infested road- 
sides have been thinned out over approximately one-half 
the town. Certain owners of valuable woodland who have 
shown a disposition to make a liberal expenditure for sup- 
pressing the moths have received the assistance of the town 
force. About 200 acres of badly infested woodland have 
been thinned out and put in condition for next season's 
work. Saugus presents one of the most serious problems 
in the entire district. A great deal of burlapping and 
spraying and other necessary work must be done next 
season if the increase of the moths is to be checked. 

SOMERVILLE. 
Charles I. Bucknam, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against mollis, estimated, . 1,100 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

The city of Somerville is entitled to highest praise for the 
very thorough and efficient work performed against the 
brown-tail and gypsy moths since the cessation of exter- 
minative work by the State in 1900. This work has been 
in the hands of the inspector of trees, a man thoroughly 
competent to judge of the needs of the situation, who for- 
tunately has been liberally supported by appropriations 



54 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL M0TII8. [Jan. 

from the city ijovernment. As a result, the infestations in 
this cit}' by either brown-tail or gypsy moth are limited in 
number, and principally confined to certain areas of land 
which have been held for building purposes and which have 
received no attention from the owners. The gypsy moth is 
scattered to-day in small numbers throughout the city, the 
principal infestations being in the western section. The 
brown-tail moth is generally prevalent, but in small num- 
bers. The occurrence of this insect (and frequently also of 
the gypsy moth) in Somerville without doubt arises from the 
numerous neglected estates in neighboring cities. At the 
present writing the work of clearing both moths from the 
street trees is nearly completed. A considerable amount of 
burlapping will be recjuired next season in the sections 
where the gypsy moth still exists. 

Stoneham. 
George M. Jefts, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . f980 84 

1906, amount required befoi'e reimbursement, . . . 1,961 68 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 3,193 99 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 640 45 

Stoneham, with its large woodland areas, is thoroughly 
infested by both species of moths. The gypsy moth is 
abundant in dangerous numbers in the woodland in the 
southern part of the town, and roadsides and orchards are 
generally infested. 

The work against the moths in this town is entitled to high 
commendation. It was placed last summer in the hands of 
a competent trained man, and has been liberally supported 
by appropriation of town funds. At the present writing the 
infested roadsides in all parts of the town have been cut 
over and burned and the street trees and those on public 
grounds have been cleared of gypsy moth egg clusters. 
Work against the brown-tail moth is now in progress and 
should be completed ])y February 1. Perhaps because this 
town has been so severely atilicted by both moths, the 
property owners are showing a most commendable interest 
in destroying decayed or worthless trees and brush, and in 



1900.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 55 

cleaiiiiii' the moths from the remaining trees on their estates. 
Next season tlie trees throughout the town should be bur- 
lapped, and a considerable amount of spraying also will be 
necessary. 

SWAMPSCOTT. 
George Newhall, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . f 1,539 06 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 3,078 12 
1905, amount expended in work aj^ainst moths, . . . 2,624 14 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, ..... 

Swampscott is badly infested by both species of moths. 
The gypsy moth colonies in the westerly part of the town 
are of large size. In the woodland in the easterly part there 
are numerous scattering gypsy moth egg clusters ; but in the 
Cedar Hill section, where a large moth colony was treated a 
number of years ago b^' the employees of the State Board 
of Agriculture, only a few moths have been found. 

Work against the caterpillars was begun by the local 
superintendent June 17, and a gang of men has been em- 
ployed against the gypsy moth practically all the time since 
that date. The infested roadsides have been cut out and the 
remaining trees put in condition for burlapping next season. 
Nearly all the large infested pasture area has been cut out 
and should be burned early in the caterpillar season of next 
year. Practically all the work against both moths on street 
trees has been completed at this writing. Aside from burn- 
ing over the infested pastures a great deal of burlapping and 
spraying will be necessary next season to bring the gypsy 
moth under control. 

Wakefield. 
"W. W. Whittredge, Local Sitpenntendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . f 1,669 12 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 3,338 24 
1905, amount exi)ended in work against mollis, . . . 3,881 74 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 1,770 10 

Wakefield is now generally infested over its entire area by 
])oth moths. The gypsy moth is most abundant in the 
southern and eastern parts of the town and it occurs in scat- 
terins: numbers in the northern woodlands. 



56 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

The local officials early made suitable provision for the 
town Avork, and the necessary operations were carried on 
during the summer and fall in a generally satisfactory^ man- 
ner. The street trees in the central district were burlapped 
and attended during the summer months, and a certain 
amount of fall spraying against the brown-tail moth gave 
good results. A part of the infested roadsides has ])een cut 
out and l)urned, but more of this work remains to be done. 
The town park at Hart's Hill has been cleared of dead and 
worthless trees, the brush cut and burned and the moth 
nests destroyed on the remaining trees. This particular 
work has ])ecn performed in a very thorough and satisfactory 
manner. 

At the present time the local force is at work on street 
trees destroying the nests of both moths, and will probably 
be able to take up work on private estates by February 1. 
The work next season will include a general campaign of 
burlapping and spraying, and roadsides in certain sections 
and in a part of the park reservation must be burned over 
with oil. 

Waltham. 
Richard A. Jones, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . f 2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 1,197 64 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, ..... - 

AValtham was practically clear of the gypsy moth at the 
close of the former State work ; but a hasty inspection dur- 
ing the caterpillar season of 1905 revealed the presence of 
the insect over the entire area, although none of the colonies 
outside the woodland district were of notable size. In the 
woods lying near Lexington Street in the northern part of 
the city there is a large colony covering approximately 10 
acres, over half of which was severely injured last summer 
by the caterj)illars. The ])rown-tail moth is generally scat- 
tered throughout the city. 

In past years considerable work was done by the city 
authorities against this insect, both on street trees and on 
private estates. During the past season the local work 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 57 

against both species of moths was prosecuted M'ith vigor 
and in a very satisfactory manner. In this city we have 
had the hearty co-operation of the mayor and city govern- 
ment, which has greatly favored the accomplishment of the 
necessary work. The street trees have been cleared of the 
gypsy moth e<^<i clusters, and the work against the brown- 
tail moth is practically completed at this writing. The 
woodland colonies will have attention during the winter 
months, and an earnest effort will be made to put the whole 
city in condition for efficient \vork before the hatching period 
of the eggs next spring. The trees in the infested sections 
should be burlapped next season, and a limited amount of 
spraying will probably be necessary. 

Watertown. 
Francis H. Barnes, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,431 91 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 4,863 82 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 4,099 24 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 1,333 86 

Watertown is now generally infested by both species of 
moths, but is fortunate in the fact that it has so little wood- 
land. The street trees and private estates are generally in- 
fested by both moths, the gyps}' being particular!}^ abundant 
in the eastern section of the town. During the fall months 
the infested roadsides were cleared of brush and undesirable 
trees, and at this writing about three-fourths of the street 
trees have been cleaned of the moths. 

The local authorities have shown a disposition to provide 
suitable funds for the work, which has proceeded in a satis- 
ftictory manner. The most serious problem in the town is 
the large number of badly infested private estates, and the 
notable apathy of many citizens with reference to destroying 
the moths on their property. The trees throughout the en- 
tire town should be burla})ped and sprayed next season. 
If thorough work can be continued here, the moths should 
be brought under control before the close of the caterpillar 
season of 1906. 



58 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Winchester. 
Irving T. Guild, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,058 73 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 4,117 46 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 3,379 16 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

In the residential part of Winchester a great deal of 
thorough work has been done in past years under the direc- 
tion of the tree warden. While very satisfactory in view of 
the local conditions, this work has been seriously interfered 
with and often set at naught by the influx of gypsy inoths 
from the surrounding woodland colonies. There have also 
been numerous cases of conspicuous neglect, even on the 
part of well-to-do private citizens, who have failed to clear 
their property of the moth pests. The woodland areas of 
the town are infested by the gypsy moth in dangerous num- 
bers, while the brown-tail moth occurs in large numbers 
practically over the entire town. The section which adjoins 
Woburn is particularly infested with this insect. 

The town began work prom})tly under the present act, and 
has prosecuted its campaign against the moths with a great 
deal of vigor. The work of the local superintendent is en- 
titled to highest praise and has been well supported by the 
town authorities. A large expenditure of money must be 
made in this town, however, before the moths can be brought 
under control. A liberal amount of burlapping, l)anding 
and spraying will be necessary next season. At the present 
writing the necessary work on public trees has been practi- 
cally completed, and a considerable amount of work has been 
done by private citizens in the badly infested woodlands. 
In co-operation with the city of Medford, the local force is 
now engaged in thinning out the badly infested section 
known as the Kussell Woods, lying on the southern border 
of the town. 

WlNTHHOP. 
Frank "W. Tucker, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbui'sement, . . . $1,784 37 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 3,568 74 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 525 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 59 

This town is now generally infested by both species of 
moths, althoup:h no particularly dangerous colonies exist. 
The town officials have provided suitable funds for the work, 
which has been carried out under the direction of an active 
and efficient committee. At this writing the trees on streets 
and in public parks have been cleared of both species of the 
moths, and the work on private estates has begun. Although 
Winthrop is small in area, it has about 1,000 street trees 
and nearly twenty-five miles of streets. The most important 
infestations by each moth are in certain small fruit orchards. 

The work in the town has been done in a satisfactory 
manner, has been properly supported by the public, and if 
these conditions prevail through 1906, the results should 
be most satisfactory. Burlapping and a limited amount of 
spraying will be required next year. 

WOBURN. 
Peter E. McHugh, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,167 67 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 4,335 34: 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 7,528 87 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

No city or town in the infested district is more in need of 
thorough and efficient work against the gypsy and brown- 
tail moths than is Woburn. Both insects occur generally 
throughout the city. The central residential district, the 
eastern section adjacent to Stoneham and Winchester and 
the woodlands in the southern and western parts are all badly 
infested l)y the gypsy moth. Large woodland colonies of 
the gypsy moth have now developed to alarming propor- 
tions. 

During the caterpillar season a limited amount of spraying 
was done in the city, and with the a{)proach of the time for 
fall work liberal financial provision was made by the city 
government. Unfortunately the business interests of the 
local superintendent prevented him from giving to the neces- 
sary operations proper su])ervision. There has been in evi- 
dence at all times in Woburn a most discouraging tendency 
to make the work a question rather of employing labor than 
of attempting to control the moths. Late in December, just 



60 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL ^lOTHS. [Jan. 

before the close of the fiscal year, a force of nearly 250 men 
was put at Avork. The few trained foremen available were 
simply unable to handle this large gang of men, and, although 
repeated complaints were made by the State agents to the 
officials in charge, practically no improvement in the condi- 
tion was obtainable. It is safe to say that a gang of 25 
men, properly directed and working throughout the season, 
would have accomplished much more in suppressing the 
moths than the poorly directed forces employed in 1905. 

AVe have assurances that during the coming year the moth 
work in Woburn will be treated as a business proposition 
and carried out on business-like lines. If this is done, 
nmch relief from the i)ests should be obtained. If not so 
done the money ex})ended will be practically squandered, 
and the condition of the city at the close of the year will be 
even worse than at present. 

Nearly all the infested roadsides in the city have been cut 
out and about one-half of the street trees have been cleared 
of both moths, although a considerable amount of reinspect- 
ing will be necessary. The work of next season should in- 
clude a vigorous campaign of spraying, burlapping and an 
eflTortto control, if funds permit, the increase of the moth in 
woodland colonies. 

Outer Tovms. 

Abington. 

C. Fred Shaw, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $508 08 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,016 16 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 46 75 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

An examination of this town by inspectors from this office 
revealed the gypsy moth in 12 localities. The brown-tail 
moth is generally scattered throughout the town. The street 
trees have been cleared of both species of the moths, but as 
yet little work has been done on private estates. Burlap- 
ping will be necessary in the sections infested with the 
gypsy moth during the caterpillar season of 1906. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 61 

Acton. 
Charles J. Williams, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $339 59 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 679 17 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 150 GO 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

A hast}' inspection of the roadsides, street trees and or- 
chards in tliis town revealed the presence of 4 small gypsy 
moth colonies, and the brown-tail moth was found gen- 
erally distributed throughout the entire area. The local 
authorities have endeavored to co-operate fully with us in 
suppressing the insects, and the work has been carried on 
in a most satisfactory manner. At the present writing 
nearly all the street trees of the town have been cleared of 
both moths. The infestations here of the gypsy moth do 
not ofter any serious difficulties if the present thorough work 
can be continued. Next season the trees in the sections 
where the colonies were foimd should be burlapped and 
carefully attended. 

Amesbury. 

A. L. Stover, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,059 49 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,118 97 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 667 20 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

The gypsy moth is scattered throughout this town, but 
none of the colonies are of large size. The principal in- 
festations are in the central residential district, although a 
few colonies have been found in the northern part of the 
town near the New Hampshire line. The brown-tail moth 
is remarkably abundant and last summer caused considerable 
damage to trees. The work against the moths has been 
prosecuted vigorously and to our complete satisfaction. The 
street trees have been cleared of both species of moths. 
These trees in the sections infested with the gypsy moth 
should be burlapped next season and carefully attended. 



62 GYPSY AND BROWX-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Andover. 
J. H. Playdon, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,221 62 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,443 24 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 1,010 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

About 50 estates infested by the gypsy moth have been 
k)cated in Andover by our inspectors. The principal in- 
festations are in the centre of the town and around the 
academy and seminary buildings. Small colonies have been 
found scattered in the southern, eastern and western por- 
tions of the town, and a general infestation by the brown- 
tail moth is in evidence. Much good work has been done 
here in the past by the tree warden, who has been properly 
supported in his efforts by an excellent public spirit on the 
})art of citizens and town oflScials. At the present time 
about two-thirds of the street trees of the town have been 
cleared of the moths. A great deal of traffic passes through 
Andover, and the danger both of bringing in additional moths 
and of carrying others away from the infested localities is a 
serious feature of the situation. The street trees should be 
burlapi)cd next season, and a considerable amount of spray- 
ing will be necessary. 

Ashland. 
F. A. Morse, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... ?203 33 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 406 65 

1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 25 00 

1906, amount of State reimbursement, 

In Ashland the roadsides and orchards have been examined 
and 4 small gypsy moth colonies located. The brown-tail 
moth a})pears to be very scarce in the town. The town 
work has been organized and everything necessary to sup- 
press the moths has been accomplished. Burlapping will be 
necessary next year in the sections infested with the gypsy 
moth, and a thorough watch should be kept for the develop- 
ment of anv additional colonies. 




Pines, Lebanon Street, Maiden, stripped by gypsy moth 
caterpillars in 1904; dead in 1905. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 63 

Avon. 
v. L. Snell, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $181 48 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 362 96 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 15 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Two small colonies of the gypsy moth have been found in 
this town and have been treated by Inspector Joseph Silva. 
The local superintendent has cleared the street trees of the 
brown-tail moth, and also has nearly completed the exami- 
nation and treatment of private estates. 

Barnstable. 
Eben Smith, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $969 31 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,938 62 

1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... - 

1906, amount of State reimbursement, 

There are numerous brown-tail moth webs in evidence in 
this town, and these should be removed before spring. A 
preliminary inspection made late in December revealed the 
presence of 1 gypsy moth egg cluster in a tree near one of 
the largest hotels, a place much frequented by automobiles. 
The local work has been organized and will be under way 
early in January. 

Bedford. 
Charles W. Jenks, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $242 04 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 484 08 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 131 92 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, ..... - 

Over 60 places infested by the gypsy moth have been 
located in this town. The most important colony was found 
at the Parker estate on the Billerica road, where over 130 
nests were treated on 16 trees. The brown-tail moth is 
generally present throughout the town. A well-organized 
campaign against both moths is being carried on by the 
local superintendent in a very satisfactory manner. Next 



64 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

season the street trees in the infested regions and on the 
main thorou<>hfares should be burlapped and sprayed, and 
the underbrush along infested roadsides should either be cut 
and burned or sprayed. 

BiLLERICA. 

T. Emery Smith, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... |439 47 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 878 94 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... - 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

About 35 estates have been found infested with the gypsy 
moth in this town. The selectmen have made suitable pro- 
vision for fall and winter work against both gypsy and 
brown-tail moths, but, owing to an unfortunate accident, the 
local superintendent has not yet been able to commence his 
work. AYe have assurances that the necessary operations 
will be started in the near future. This town is fortunate in 
possessing a large number of fine shade trees, and a great 
deal of burlapping with some spraying next season will be 
necessary to give them proper protection. 

Bourne. 
HiBAM F. Baker, Local Superinteiident. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $507 55 

1906, amount I'equired before reimbursement, . . 1,015 09 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

On Dec. 30, 1905, Inspector W. P. Flint found 3 small 
gypsy moth colonies in this town. The examination is in 
progress at this time, and we have assurances from the 
selectmen that the necessary work will be promptly organ- 
ized. 

BOXFORD. 
John Parkhurst, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $203 60 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 407 19 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 319 54 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 116 94 



1!)06.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 65 

This town has been found jxenerally infested with the 
gypsy moth, although none of the colonies so far located are 
of large size. The insect is scattered throughout the entire 
area, as shown by an examination made by Inspector F. W. 
Parkins. The moths are most numerous in the central resi- 
dential section, 2Q es^s^ clusters having been found on a sino;le 
estate. The town has been scouted, with the exception of 
the West Boxford section, and this work will be completed 
l)efore the eggs hatch. Al:)out one-third of the street trees 
in the town have been cleared of both species of moths. 
Next season the trees in the sections infested with the gypsy 
moth should be burlapped and thoroughly attended. The 
brown-tail moth is scattered throughout the town, although 
nowhere in excessive numbers. 

Braixtree. 
Elmer E. Abercrombie, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $981 55 

1906, amount requii'ed before reimbursement, . . . 1,963 09 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 821 92 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Br&intree is generally infested with the gypsy moth, and 
bears practically the same relation to travel to southern 
^Massachusetts towns as does Quincy or Weymouth to those 
located on the South Shore. A serious colony has been 
located in the northerly part of the town, and the fall in- 
spection has shown egg clusters generally scattered in small 
numbers throughout the town, being most numerous near the 
Fore River. The street trees have Ijeen cleared of both 
species of moths, but much work remains to be done on 
private estates to bring the pests under control. Burlapping 
should be generally adopted next year throughout the town, 
and spraying possibly may be necessary in certain sections. 

The condition of Braintree is most serious and demands a 
large amount of careful work. An effort will be made to 
inspect the woodland adjoining the Blue Hills Reservation, 
where it is feared that the gypsy moth may have established 
itself in considerable numbers. 



66 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Bridgewater. 
Robert J. McNeeland, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $614 16 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,228 32 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 23 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Several estates in ditierent parts of the town have been 
found infested by the J^ypsy moth, and the brown-tail moth 
occurs in small numbers. Practically all the necessary work 
on street trees has been done l)y the local superintendent, 
and work on private estates is now receiving his attention. 
Burlapping W'ill be necessary next summer in the sections 
where the gypsy moth has been located. 

Brockton. 
Edward Mottau, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 82,5(0 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 255 76 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

A preliminary examination of Brockton was made during 
the caterpillar season and 7 localities Avere found to be in- 
fested with the gypsy moth. Since that time the street trees 
have been thoroughly examined and a few additional infested 
localities found. A complete inspection of the entire city 
will be made before the eggs hatch next spring. 

The gypsy moth problem in Brockton is a most serious 
one, as the city is a notable electric car centre; it is pecul- 
iarly exposed to infestation from Quincy, Braintree, Milton 
and Boston, and, on the other hand, unless very thorough 
work is done here, the city may become a source of infesta- 
tion for a large area of surrounding country. No important 
gypsy moth colonics have yet been found, and the brown- 
tail moths, though thoroughly scattered, are nowhere in 
serious numbers. The work against both species of moths 
has been accomplished in a very satisfactory manner by the 
local superintendent. It will probably ))e necessary to bur- 
lap the trees in the sections infested with the gypsy moth 
next season. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 67 

Canton. 
William Gallivan, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $740 12 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,480 24 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 40 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Two localities have been found infested by the gypsy 
moth, and the brown-tail moth occurs only in small num- 
bers. The nests of both species of moths have been de- 
stroyed, both on street trees and on private estates. Bur- 
lapping will be necessary next season in the sections where 
the gypsy moth was found. 

Carlisle. 
Charles Forbush, Local Superinteyident. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $80 71 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . . 161 41 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

A single gypsy moth colony was located in this town on 
the farm of F. C. Cook, but a careful roadside and orchard 
inspection failed to reveal any further signs of the insect. 
The brown-tail moth occurs in scattering numbers in or- 
chards throughout the town. As yet there has been but a 
small amount of work against cither insect, but we have 
assurances that the same will be taken up at an early date. 
It is important next year that the entire area of the town be 
thoroughly inspected, and that the trees in the vicinity of 
the gypsy moth colony ))e burlapped and attended. 

Carver. 
E. H. MuRDOCK, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount I'equired before reimbursement, .... 1303 42 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 606 84 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 20 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Seven localities have been found infested with the gypsy 
moth along the main road from Plymouth to Middleborough. 
The l)rown-tail moth has been noticed in small numbers 



68 GYPSY AXD BliOWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

along roadsides and in orchards. All necessary work 
against both moths has been performed by the local super- 
intendent. A limited amount of burlapping will be necessary 
here next year. 

Chelmsford. 

George B. B. Wright, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $617 55 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,235 09 
1905, amount exjiended in work against moths, estimated, . 450 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

A single egg clyster found on the estate of Mrs. B. M. 
AVilson by the State inspector is the only evidence of the 
gypsy moth in Chelmsford, although the roadsides and or- 
chards throughout the town have been generally examined. 
The brown-tail moth is present in average numbers through- 
out the entire area. Operations against this insect on street 
trees and those on public grounds are now in progress and 
should be completed by February 1. The town authorities 
have made suitable provision for the necessary work which 
is being carried out in a very satisfactory manner. The 
operations of next season should include a thorough inspec- 
tion of the entire town, with burlapping in the section where 
the gypsy moth colony is located. 

COHASSET. 
John S. Clark, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,281 46 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,562 89 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 500 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

During the })rclimiiiary inspection of Cohasset in the 
cater})illar season, 12 localities were found to be infested 
with the gyi)sy moth, nearly all within a short distance of 
the centre of the town. After the eggs were laid, the street 
trees and many of the private estates were examined, with 
the result that about 100 places were found infested I)y the 
gypsy moth. The woodland area near the Turkey Hill 
district is somewhat infested and will be given a thorough 
examination before the eggs hatch next spring. The brown- 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 78. 69 

tail moth has been found scattered throughout the town. 
The local superintendent has inspected nearly all the street 
trees and has practically completed his work against the 
brown-tail moth, except on private estates. Next season 
the sections infested by the gypsy moth should be burlapped 
and carefully attended. 

Concord. 
WiLLARD T. Farrar, Locttl Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbui'seraent, . . , $1,098 01 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,196 01 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... - 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Small gypsy moth colonies are widely scattered in Con- 
cord and the V)roAvn-tail moth is also in evidence. Some 45 
estates are known to be infested with the gypsy moth, the 
largest colony being on the Lowell road, where 25 new nests 
were found. The ordinary procedure of burlapping and 
spraying next season should result in holding these infesta- 
tions in check, and it is desirable that the town be thoroughly 
inspected at the earliest possible moment. Local work 
against the moths is now in progress and is being properly 
supported by the town officials. 

Dedham. 
George W. Phillips, Local Superintendent. 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,159 65 
1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 4,319 29 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 93 75 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Five gypsy moth colonies have been located in Dedham, 
which, being the county seat, is visited by travel from all 
directions. It is particularly important that these infesta- 
tions be kept under control in order to prevent scattering 
of the caterpillars throughout the surrounding towns. The 
brown-tail moth occurs here in small numbers. 

It has been difficult in this town to overcome local apathy, 
and, unless the necessary work is vigorously prosecuted in 
the near future, serious results will probably follow. The 
officials and citizens of this town should realize that the gypsy 



70 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

moth is not a pest to 1)e trifled with, and that a few dollars 
spent now in thorough work will be in the interests of true 
economy. If the gypsy moth is allowed to increase, large 
expenditures will he necessary in the course of a few years. 

Dover. 
John McClure, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement S185 61 

1906, amount required liefore reimbursement, .... 371 21 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 8 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

A partial examination of Dover has resulted in the dis- 
covery of 2 small gypsy moth colonies. The brown-tail 
moth occurs in scattering numbers throughout the town. 
The local officials have supported the work in a very satis- 
factory manner, and at this writing about two-thirds of the 
public trees have been cleared of the moths. Burlapping 
will be necessary next season in the sections infested by the 
gypsy moth. 

DUXBURY. 



Henry H. Lewis, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . 
1905, amount expended in work against mollis, 
1905, amount of State reimbursement. 



1374 10 

748 20 

90 00 



Eleven gypsy moth colonies have been located in this 
town, none of them of large size but all of importance 
because of the danger of scattering of caterpillars. The 
principal infestations are in the shore district. The town 
should be carefully inspected next season and a considerable 
amount of burlapping will be necessary. The brown-tail 
moth is generally scattered throughout the town. The work 
against both moths has been prosecuted in a most satisftictory 
manner by the local superintendent. 

East Bridgewater. 
William T. Greene, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... f 326 18 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 652 37 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, , 70 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 71 

A small gypsy moth colony was found in this town in 

1903. A thorough examination this year by the State in- 
spectors has revealed 4 additional infested localities. The 
brown-tail moth is relatively scarce in the town. The local 
situation is w^ell in hand, the work done by the superintend- 
ent being most satisfactory. Burlapping will be necessary 
another season in the sections infested with the gypsy moth. 

Framingham. 

N. I. BowDiTCH, Local Superintendent. 

190.5, amount required before I'cimbursenient, . . . $1,843 72 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 3,687 44 

190.5, amount expended in work against motlis, estimated, . 300 CO 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

Framingham, from its location on the main avenue of 
travel })etwen Boston and Worcester, is peculiarly liable to 
infestation ; in fact, the gypsy moth was reported here in 

1904. A preliminary inspection in the caterpillar season 
of 1905 revealed a small colony on Concord Street, which 
was burlapped and attended during the remainder of the 
season. Additional work by Inspectors I. L. Bailey and 
A. G. Smith of this office developed a very unfortunate gen- 
eral infestation of the town, the gypsy moth being found on 
about 100 estates. The principal colonies are in the three 
residential sections : Framingham Centre, South Framing- 
ham and Saxonville. The brown-tail moth is also quite 
generally scattered over the town, occuring in largest num- 
bers at South Framingham and Saxonville. 

The local moth work has been prosecuted with vigor and 
to our complete satisfaction. As soon as possible the entire 
woodland area should be scouted, and next season the usual 
burlapping for gypsy moth caterpillars and probably a 
limited amount of spraying will be required. The work 
of the local superintendent has been well supported by 
the town officials and citizens, and should make a satis- 
factory showing next year if the present liberal policy is 
continued. 



72 GYPSY AND BROWX-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Georgetown, 
William Bray, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount i-equired before I'eirabursement, . . . . $195 86 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 391 72 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 107 90 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

A few gypsy moth egg clusters have been fouiul at various 
points in Georgetown, and the hrown-tail moth is com- 
monly in evidence in orchards and woodland. The local 
superintendent has cleared the brown-tail nests from about 
one-third of the street trees and is carrying on the work in 
a satisfactory manner. Another season the trees in the 
localities where gypsy moths were found should be burlapped 
and receive careful attention. 

In this town there w^as formerly a large w^oodland colony 
which was destroyed in 1899 by the employees of the State 
Board of Agriculture. In the time which has elapsed since 
the cessation of the former State gypsy moth \vork, there 
has been am])le opportunity for any moths remaining in this 
colony to develop to noticeable numbers. But very careful 
examination made of the woodland in and around this colony 
has failed to reveal any form of the gypsy moth. 

Groveland. 
Fred A. "Wood, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... f 209 52 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 419 03 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 173 43 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

None of the few gypsy moth colonies in this town are of 
notable size or present any s})ecial difficulties. The infesta- 
tions are practically' confined to the central residential dis- 
trict, and if thoroughly treated next season should be easily 
brought under control. The local superintendent has cleared 
the broW'n-tail moth nests from about one-half the street 
trees and has destroyed all gypsy moth c^g clusters found. 
The trees in the localities infested with the gypsy moth 
should be l)url:ipped next season and receive careful attention. 



190(j.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 73. 73 



Halifax. 
Frank D. Lyon, Local Super mtendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... |63 11 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 126 21 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 10 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

A general examination of the street trees of Halifax has 
been completed by inspectors from this office, and as a result 
the gypsy moth has been found in 9 localities. A small in- 
festation near the Hanson line has been reported by the local 
force of that town. Halifax is particularly exposed to in- 
festation from the number of summer visitors in the Mon- 
ponsett Pond section. The local work on street trees 
against both gypsy and l)rown-tail moths is completed, and 
practically all private estates have also received necessary 
attention. Burlappingin the sections infested by the gypsy 
moth will be necessary next summer. There are a few 
scattering brown-tail moth nests in Halifax. 

Hamilton. 
George H. Gibney, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $560 38 

1906, amount i-equired before reimbursement, . . . 1,120 77 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 1,306 10 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

This town is generally infested with the gypsy moth. The 
most important colonies are at Asbury Park and around 
Chebacco Lake, In these sections there are a laro;e number 
of summer cottages, and the danger of distribution from the 
colonies is great. Much thorough work will be necessary 
here next season. 

In October a part of the infested roadsides was thinned 
out, and during November and December the brown-tail 
moth nests on street trees throughout the town were re- 
moved. The trees in the parts infested with the gypsy 
moth should be burlap[)ed next season, and a certain amount 
of spraying will be necessary in the Asbury Park section. 



74 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Hanover. 

W. S. Stoddard, Local Super Intendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... |274 16 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 548 32 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 105 00 
1905, amount of State I'eimbursement, 

In this town 81 localities have been found infested by the 
oypsy moth, principally in the residential and farming sec- 
tions. It is probable that the moth also occurs in small 
numbers in the woodlands, and here a careful inspection will 
be necessary in the near future. The brown-tail moth is 
generally scattered throughout the town, but has been well 
controlled by the work of the tree warden. This has been 
carried on in a very satisfactory manner, and if prosecuted 
with as much vigor next season the gypsy moth colonies 
should be brought under control. 

Hanson, 
A. L. Dame, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $149 30 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 298 60 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 60 00 
1905, amount of State reimbui'sement, 

Upward of 50 estates in Hanson are infested by the 
g3^psy moth. The insect has been located in all sections of 
the town, and a great deal of careful work will be necessary 
to bring it under control. The town is unfortunate in hav- 
ing a large number of old decayed apple trees standing in or 
near infested places. Before thorough work can be done, 
these trees should be removed or properly trimmed and the 
cavities filled with cement. As yet we have been unable to 
make an inspection of the woodland in the northern part of 
the town, but this matter will receive attention in the near 
future from the local superintendent and his men. The 
necessary work against both gypsy and brown-tail moths 
has been completed by the local superintendent in a highly 
satisfactory manner. The brown-tail moth infestation in 
the town is li<>'ht. 



19U().J PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 75 

Haverhill. 
Henry Frost, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,600 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work aofainst moths, . . . 785 70 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

Haverhill has been examined at different dates by the 
State inspectors, who found the irypsy moth on about a 
dozen private estates. The two i)rincipal colonies are at 40 
Park Street and 15 York Street. There can be but little 
doubt that the city has become infested with the gypsy moth 
from the large amount of automobile travel passing through 
it from points to the southward. 

The local work is in good hands, and is being carried out 
in a satisfactory manner. The l)rown-tail moth wel^s have 
been removed from about one-third of the city trees, and a 
considerable amount of work has been done by private 
citizens. Next season the trees in the sections infested by 
the gypsy moth should be burlapped and sprayed. 

HiNGHAM. 
Warren W. Lothrop, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $872 69 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,745 38 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 100 00 
1905, amount of State reimbui'sement, 

During the caterpillar season 13 estates infested with the 
gypsy moth were located in Hingham, all within one-half 
mile of the railroad station. The fall inspection by the local 
superintendent showed 275 estates infested by the gypsy 
moth, but usually there were not more than one or two egg 
clusters in a place. "While these moth colonies are scattered 
practically throughout the entire town, none of them offer 
any serious difficulties in the way of treatment. At this 
writing the street trees throughout the town have been 
cleared of the gypsy moth, and active operations against the 
brown-tail moth are in progress. The street trees of the 
town should be l)urla})ped next season. 



76 GYPSY AND BROAVX-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Hiniihani is in such a condition, as regards l)()th gypsy and 
l)r()\vn-tail moths, that, unless a large amount of thorough 
work can l)e done next season, the insects will soon increase 
to such an extent that a large annual expense will be neces- 
sary. 

The town officials and citizens have shown a most com- 
mendable interest in prosecuting the work, and the efforts of 
the local superintendent have been well planned and carried 
out in a most satisfactory manner. Mention should be made 
of the good work done against the brown-tail moth in past 
years by Tree Warden A. W. Young which has materially 
reduced the cost of operations the present year. 

HOLBKOOK. 
William Hatden, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $253 64 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 507 27 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 25 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Seven different localities in this town have been found in- 
fested by the gypsy moth, while the brown-tail moth occurs 
in scattering numbers. The problem here is a relatively 
simple one if the trees can be burlapped and thoroughly at- 
tended next summer. The street trees and private estates 
as well have been cleared of both species of moths, and the 
work has been done in a very satisfactorj^ manner. 

HOPKINTON, 
R. I. Frail, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... |327 86 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 655 71 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... 

1905, amount of Stale reimbursement, 

The roadsides and orchards of this town have been gener- 
ally inspected, and a single gypsy moth egg cluster found. 
The brown-tail moth occurs in very small numbers. The 
necessary work in this town as yet has not Ijeen done. It 
will include burlapping next season in the section where the 
gypsy moth was found. 



190().] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 77 



Hudson. 
E. L. Jewett, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $626 41 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,252 82 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 150 90 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

A single gypsy moth egg cluster has been found in the 
Cherry Street section of Hudson, and the ])rown-tail moth 
is very abundant in the residential district. The local au- 
thorities have taken up the work of clearing the street trees 
of both moths, and this operation is in progress at the present 
writing. Next season the trees in the gypsy moth infested 
district will require burlapping and careful attention. 

Hull. 

Smith F. Sturgis, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $909 23 

1906, amount required before i-eimbursement, . . . 1,818 45 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 15 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

Hull is exposed to infestation through the immense 
amount of travel during the summer months from the entire 
metropolitan district. The gypsy moth has been found in 
serious numbers on the peninsula known as Hull Village. 
The badly infested section in the vicinity of Willow Street 
has been cleared by the local superintendent, who has also 
removed the nests of gypsy and brown-tail moths on all the 
street trees. There is a considerable brown-tail moth infes- 
tation in the town. 

The work here has been performed in a very thorough 
manner, ])ut it should be noted that the efforts of the local 
superintendent are seriously handicapped by the apathy of a 
large numl)er of non-resident property owners. Most vig- 
orous measures should be ap{)lied next season to suppress 
the moths. The trees throughout the town should be bur- 
lapped, and a considerable amount of spraying will be nec- 
essary in the worst infested sections. 



78 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Hyde Park. 
Harry G. Higbee, Local Supei-intendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, 350 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, ..... - 

One of the earliest findings of the gypsy moth outside the 
old infested district of 1899 was made in Hyde Park last 
May soon after the commencement of the State work. At 
that time the State superintendent was ho})eful that this 
colony might be found to be on the outer ])order of the in- 
fested district, and, pending action of the local authorities, 
he had it thoroughly sprayed to destroy the caterpillars. 
Following this work the trees were burlapped and carefully 
attended during the summer, with the result that no other 
specimens of the gypsy moth were found in this locality. 

Most unfortunately the fall ins})ection has revealed the 
gypsy moths generally scattered through the entire town, 
while several bad colonies have been discovered, notably the 
one in the Fairmount section. Here the trees on infested 
estates shoukl be burlapped and attended, and spraying will 
doubtless be necessary, particularly on certain badly in- 
fested private estates. The brown-tail moth has been plenti- 
ful on street trees throughout the town. 

The work against the moths in Hyde Park has been done 
in a very satisfactory manner, taking into consideration the 
large number of miles of streets, and the delay on the part 
of local authorities to ]:)rovide suitable funds for the most 
economical })rosecution of operations. 

Ipswich. 
Henry L. Ordway, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reiml)ursement, . . . $743 19 

1906, amount required before reimljursement, . . . 1,486 38 
1905. amount expended in work against moths, . . . 1,184 89 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

A hasty examination of Ipswich was uiade in July by 
Insi)ector John Sweeney, who re})orted that the gypsy moth 
was scattered generally throughout the town. During the 



190().] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 73. 79 

fall examination many small colonies were found on private 
estates. There are no serious infestations here at present, 
but a great amount of work will be necessary to prevent the 
increase of the moth. During the late fall the infested road- 
sides were cut out and put in condition for spraying and 
burlapping. The nests of the brown-tail moth have been 
removed from the street trees in a part of the residential 
section. The infestation by this insect is greatest in the 
eastern part of the town. 

Lying as Ipswich does in the path of the main line of 
travel along the North Shore, it is particularly exposed to 
infestation by the gypsy moth, and should have careful at- 
tention next season. 

Kingston. 
Daniel Weston, Local Superintendent. 

190j, amount required before reimbursement, .... $283 29 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 566 57 

1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 50 00 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

The roads throughout the entire town have been inspected, 
and 29 small and widely scattered colonies of the gypsy moth 
found. While the moth occurs throughout the residential 
section, none of the colonies are of notable size, and all should 
be easily brought under control if the present thorough 
work can be continued during the coming year. 

Brown-tail moths are generally in evidence throughout 
the town, but a great deal of work against these insects has 
been done by private citizens. Burlapping will be neces- 
sary in 1906 in the sections infested with the gypsy moth. 
The woodlands of the town should 1)e inspected at the earliest 
possible moment. 

Lakeville. 

S. T. Nelson, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... fl24 86 

1906, amount required before reiml)ursement, .... 249 71 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 7 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Lakeville must be included in the list of infested towns, 
on the strength of the single gypsy moth egg cluster found. 
The roadside trees and those on estates adjacent to the high- 



80 GYPSY AND BROWX-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

ways have been thoroughly examined by the local superin- 
tendent working with the State inspector, but no further 
infestations have been found. 

In the section where the egg cluster was located, the trees 
should be burlapped and attended next season, and it will be 
well, if opportunity permits, to make an examination of the 
woodland area of the town. 

Lawrence. 
Isaac Kelley, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 00 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Five small gypsy moth colonies were located last summer 
in Lawrence by Inspector D. G. Murphy. The brown-tail 
moth occurs commonly in the city. During recent years 
the local park board, having in charge the city trees, has 
followed a very liberal policy in combating insect pests of 
all kinds, and the work done by the local superintendent is 
entitled to particular commendation. At the present writing 
about one-half the street trees of the city have been inspected 
and cleared of both species of moths. It is expected that 
work on private estates will begin by February 1. The 
movement by citizens to suppress the moths has received an 
impetus from the efibrts of the two local improvement so- 
cieties, which have purchased the necessary tools and loaned 
them freely to all applicants. Several manufacturing cor- 
porations are also engaged in clearing their property of the 
moth pests. 

The work of next season should include a limited amount 
of spraying together with burlapping, and thorough attention 
in the sections where the gypsy moth was found in 1905. 

Lincoln. 
Edward R. Farrar, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $457 03 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . . 914 06 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 53 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 



190(;.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 81 

The gypsy moth is scattered over the entire area of Lin- 
c'ohi. All woodland tracts, so far as they have been in- 
spected, are infested. The local superintendent has taken up 
the work with a great deal of energy, and has been properly 
sui)ported by the town officials. As a result, practically all 
the necessary work against the moths on public trees has 
been accomplished, and steps are now under way to apply 
the provisions of the act to private estates. The infested 
roadside brush in several sections is a source of danger, since 
it will not be possible to keep the street trees free from the 
moths unless this brush is thoroughly treated. There exists, 
most naturally, strong local sentiment against cutting the 
brush along the highw^ays, and, as an alternative, a great 
deal of spraying will be necessary in some places. This will 
materially increase the cost of the work, and a part of the 
expense may well be borne by those who insist upon this 
method of fighting the moth. A thorough inspection of the 
town should be made in the near future. Aside from the 
spraying mentioned, the trees in the localities infested by 
the gypsy moth should be burlapped next season and thor- 
oughly attended. 

Marlborough. 
M. E. Lyons, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,895 80 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 3,791 60 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

A small gypsy moth colony has been found in the Mount 
Pleasant Street section of Marlborough, but the brown-tail 
moth occurs in large numbers over the whole city, particu- 
larly in the residential district. But little has been done 
here as yet in the way of fall work, but we have assurances 
that operations against the moths will be taken up in the 
near future. It seems probable that a considerable expense 
will be involved in suppressing the brown-tail moth in this 
city. The gypsy moth infestation offers no special diffi- 
culties in the way of treatment. 



82 GYPSY AND BKOWX-TAIL INIOTIIS. [Jan. 



Marsiifield. 
W. L. Spragce, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $330 35 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . . 660 70 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 60 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Eight estates in Marshfield have been found infested with 
the aypsy moth, and the brown-tail moth is generally scat- 
tered through the town. The gypsy moth infestations are 
practically all in the central residential district, and have re- 
ceived thorough treatment. The browm-tail moth nests have 
been removed from the street trees, and work against them 
on private estates is now under way and is being prosecuted 
with commendable vigor. 

The citizens of this town are awake to the importance of 
suppressing the moths, and are co-operating to the fullest 
extent in this work. 

Maynard. 
Luke S. Brooks, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $704 98 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,409 87 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 20 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Inspection of the roadsides and orchards in this town re- 
vealed the presence of the brown-tail moth in considerable 
numbers, and a single estate infested by the gypsy moth. 
The local supermtendent has shown a most commendable 
activity in prosecuting the necessary work, and has the situa- 
tion well in hand. Further inspecting will be necessary 
next season, and the trees in the infested colony should be 
burlapped and attended. 

Merrimac. 
Gilbert G. Davis, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $253 34 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 506 68 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 240 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 



1900.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 78. 83 

While Merrimac is generally infested l)y the brown-tail 
moth, hut a single gypsy moth egg cluster has been found, 
the infested locality being on School Street, near the central 
part of the town. Work against the brown-tail moth was 
begun about December 1, and has been carried on in a satis- 
factory manner. The trees in and near the section where 
the gypsy moth egg cluster was found should be burlapped 
next summer. 

Methuen. 
Henry Wagland, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,030 08 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,060 16 
1905, amount expended in woi"k against moths, ... 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Four gyi)sy moth colonies have been located in this town, 
and the l)rown-tail moth is generally abundant, particularly 
in residential sections. The local work has ])eeu organized 
and carried out in a satisfactory manner. The trees through- 
out the residential section have been cleared of both species 
of moths, and work is now under w^ay in the outskirts of the 
town. The property owners have received notification, and 
the enforcement of the law on private estates will commence 
about February 1. The local work has received cordial 
support ])oth from town ojfficials and from citizens in general. 
The burlap should be applied and attended next season where 
the gypsy moth colonies are located, and a thorough inspec- 
tion of the town is desirable at an early date. 

MinULEBOROUGH. 

D. M. Pratt, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . |826 29 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,652 57 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 30 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

The gypsy moth has been found in 3 places in Middle- 
borough, viz., on Kock Street, Everett Street and North 
Main Street. The infestations are practically of the same 
nature as occur in other towns in southern Plymouth County, 



84 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

only a few nests being found in one place. The brown-tail 
moth occurs here in small numbers. 

A great deal of burlapping and other careful work will be 
necessary here ; but, as the pro})erty owners are disposed to 
co-operate with the local superintendent, we are hopeful 
that the moths may be promptly suppressed. All necessary 
work against the moths has been completed in a v^ery satis- 
factory manner. 

MiDDLETON, 
M. J. Emerson, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $129 19 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 258 37 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 548 28 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 419 09 

The gypsy moth has been found generally scattered in 
Middleton, but no large colonies as yet have been located. 
The brown-tail moth is abundant everywhere, particularly in 
orchards and along roadsides. The most important findings 
of the gypsy moth were made along the road l)etween Middle- 
ton and Danvers. A large hotel in the southern part of the 
town is much visited by summer travel, and the grounds here 
are quite seriously infested. This colony should have 
thorough attention to prevent a further scattering of the 
moth. The trees on the main streets of the town should be 
burlapped next season. 

Milton. 
Nathaniel T. Kidder, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,500 0& 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 5,000 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 585 26 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Milton is fortunate in having had for several years the 
services of a tree warden fully alive to the importance of 
suppressing the gypsy and the l)rown-tail moths, and as a 
result the insects have been kept well under control. Our 
inspection shows that the gypsy moth is scattered in small 
numbers throughout the town, including the woodlands in 
the southern part bordering on the Blue Hills Reservation. 



190G.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 85 

The hrown-tail moth is lightly scattered over the residential 
part of the town. 

Practically all the necessary work against the brown-tail 
as well as the gypsy moth on street trees and private estates 
of the entire town is completed at this writing. The trees 
in the places infested with the gypsy moth should be bur- 
lapped next season, and in certain localities spraying may be 
necessary. It is also of importance to inspect the woodlands 
thoroughly at the earliest opportunity. 

Natick. 
Hbnry S. Hunnkwell, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,325 73 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,651 45 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Upward of 65 private estates in Natick have been found 
infested by the gypsy moth, with scattering infestation on 
street trees. The brown-tail moth occurs in average num- 
bers throughout the town. The local superintendent has 
under way a more thorough inspection of the town, and we 
have assurances that the clearing of the street trees will be 
taken up at an early date. The gypsy moth colonies offer 
no particular difficulties in the way of treatment, but the 
trees in them should be burlapped and sprayed next season. 

This town possesses many beautiful estates, on which 
numerous fine specimen trees may be found. It is of the 
utmost importance, therefore, that the moth be exterminated 
here, or l)rought thoroughly under control at the earliest 
possible date. 

Needham. 
Ernest E. Riley, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $808 24 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,616 48 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 105 97 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

This town is generally infested by both the gypsy and the 
brown-tail moths. The inspection of roadsides and orchards 



86 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

has shown some 26 gypsy moth colonies, principally in the 
Hi<yhlandville section. The brown-tail moth is scattered in 
average numbers over the town. The gypsy moth colonics 
should be easily brought under control if the present hearty 
co-operation of the local authorities is continued. The 
necessary local work is in {)rogress, and has been carried out 
in a very satisfactory manner. Further inspection of the 
woodland should be made at the earliest possible moment. 

Newbury. 
Benjamin Pearson, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $239 36 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 478 72 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 549 33 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

The egg clusters of the gypsy moth have been found scat- 
tered throughout Newbury, being particularly abundant in 
the Oldtown section, where as many as 20 nests have been 
found on a small estate. The most important infestations 
are along the main road leading to Newburyport. About 
one-half of the street trees have been cleared of both gypsy 
and brown-tail moths by the local superintendent, and the 
work is in progress at this writing. The trees in the sec- 
tions infested with the gypsy moth should be burlapped next 
season, and spraying will be necessary in a few localities. 
A number of large orchards which are infested should be 
sprayed. The condition of the woodland in this town has 
not been determined, but an effort will be made to have it 
inspected during the winter and spring. 

Newburyport. 
Thomas T. Upton, Local Superintendent. 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,162 17 
1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 4,324 85 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 1,266 84 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

From its topographical position the condition of New- 
buryport is of particular importance, since nearly all the 
travel to New Hampshire points passes through it, and any 



190().] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 73. 87 

moth colonics existing here are ii source of danger to a wide- 
spread area. The gypsy moth has been found generally 
scattered throughout all parts of the city, and the brown-tail 
moth is notably a])undant. A thorough inspection of the 
city has been made, with the result that nearly every section 
has been found infested with the gypsy moth. The largest 
number of colonies was found in the residential section. 
INIany of them were of considerable size, over 100 nests 
being found on a single estate. The residential section was 
cleared of the brown-tail moth nests in the spring of 1905, 
and as a result there was but little damage by these cater- 
pillars during the summer. 

In November and December the local superintendent, with 
a small gang of men, carried on work against both insects 
on the public shade trees. It has appeared to be difficult 
to secure a suitable number of employees to carry on the 
work to greatest advantage, and, as a consequence, only 
about one-fourth of the public trees have been cleared of 
the moths. Steps are now being taken to increase the 
force of men, and it is expected that the entire city will be 
covered before the egg clusters of the gypsy moth hatch, 
next spring. A great deal of very careful work will be 
necessary here to keep the gypsy moth under control. The 
trees in the entire city should be l)urlapped next season and 
carefully attended ; in addition, spraying will be needed in 
the worst-infested sections. 

North Andovek. 
Peter Holt, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $891 65 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,783 29 
1905, amount expended in work against mollis, estimated, . 805 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

Gypsy moths were first found in 1904 in this town. An 
examination in the summer of 1905 by an inspector from 
this office showed the insect to be present in about half a 
dozen localities. The town as yet has not been completely 
scouted, and this work should have attention next year. 
Burlapping will be necessary on trees in the known gypsy 



88 GYPSY AND BROAVN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

luoth colonies. Tlie hrown-tail moth is present in aver- 
age numbers. As yet hut little has been done by the local 
authorities, owing in part to the important business in- 
terests of the local superintendent ; but we have assurances 
that a vigorous campaign against the two insects will be com- 
pleted during the winter months. 

North Reading. 

F. Howard Mosman, Local Superintendent. 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... fl33 73 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 267 47 

1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 238 65 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

The southern and eastern sections of North Reading are 
generally infested by the gypsy moth. The roadsides in this 
district contain numerous colonies, and nearly every old 
apple orchard shows specimens of both brown-tail and gypsy 
moths. The general infestation by the gypsy moth is un- 
fortunate because of the amount of woodland in the town. 
It should be checked before it has opportunity to spread 
farther. Already a considerable w^ooded area lying near 
Haverhill and Pleasant streets is generally infested, and a 
colony of importance has been located on the town farm at 
Park Street. The work of the local superintendent is now 
under way, and is being carried on in a satisfactory manner. 
A great deal of cutting and l)urning of w^orthless trees will 
be necessary, together with Inirlapping and spraying, next 
season, in order to hold the gypsy moth in check, and many 
miles of infested roadsides should have attention. The local 
operations to date have ])een properly supported b}' the 
selectmen. 

NORWELL. 
John H. Sparrell, Local Superintendent. 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... $167 46 
1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 834 91 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 85 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

Inspector Harry B. Ramsey located the gypsy moth early 
in August at 10 different })laces in Norwell. A thorough 



1906.] PUBLIC D0CUMP:NT — No. 73. 89 

inspection of the residential section of the town is now com- 
pleted, and no additional infestations have been discovered. 
The local superintendent has cleared the street trees of both 
species of moths, and has also performed the work necessary 
on private estates. The infested sections will require bur- 
lapping and careful attention next year. 

The brown-tail moth is more or less distributed over the 
residential portion of the town, but so far as known it has 
not yet invaded the woodlands. 

Norwood. 

Frank H. Winslow, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,025 55 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . 2,051 09 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 15 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, ..... - 

Four gypsy moth colonies have been found in Norwood. 
None of them are of large size, but in one case the infesta- 
tion is complicated by a number of hollow trees, which 
must be either removed or cemented. The brown-tail moth 
is not abundant here, and, if the gypsy moth infestations 
receive thorough treatment next season, the problem of 
suppressing the insects should not prove a difficult one. A 
limited amount of work has l)een done against the moths l)y 
the local superintendent. The entire town should have a 
thorough inspection at the earliest possible date. 

Pembroke. 

Calvin S. West, Local Superintendent . 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $189 78 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 379 56 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 95 18 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

In the latter part of August the gypsy moth was found in 
this town by the State inspector, and since that time 12 addi- 
tional infestations have been located. As in the case of 
other towns in this vicinity, the moth was found widely 
scattered, as no more than a single nest as a rule was foimd 
in any particular locality. A few brown-tail moth webs 



90 GYPSY AND BRO\\X-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

have been found in the town. Nearly all the necessary work 
against both 8i)ec'ies of moths has been done in a very satis- 
factory manner by the local superintendent. The sections 
infested by the gypsy moth should he Imrlapped and care- 
full v attended next season. 

Pi,Y:M0UTn. 
George R. Briggs, Local Superbiteticleiit. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $1,869 74 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 3,739 47 
1905, amount expended in worl< against motlis, ... 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

The infestations of the gypsy moth in Plymouth are of 
particular importance because of the immense amount of 
summer travel which finds its way here. We are unable 
at this writing to state how badly the tow^n is infested, but 
already the moth has been found scattered in small numbers 
throughout the entire residential section, and a single nest 
has been found at Long Pond village and at Darby Pond. 
The large amount of woodland in Plymouth should be 
thoroughly inspected at the first opportunity. A great deal 
of camping takes place here each simmier, one of the circum- 
stances that render the camp sites in the wooded area 
peculiarly lial)le to infestation by the moth. The brown- 
tail moth has been ke})t under control in past years by the 
efficient local superintendent. At this writing w^ork against 
both species of moths is being prosecuted vigorously and 
in a very satisfactory manner. Burlapping will be neces- 
sary next year Avherever the gypsy moth exists. 

Plv:mpton. 
ZiNA E. Sherman, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $66 24 

1906, amount required before I'eimbursement, .... 132 48 
1905, amount expended in work against motlis, estimated, . 25 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Six small gyi)sy moth colonies have been found in widely 
separated localities in this town. A local gang has been or- 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 91 

ganized unci instructed by Inspector C. S. Mixter, Jr., of 
this office, and the necessary work against the moths is prac- 
tically coniplctod at this writing. The brown-tail moth is 
not very abundant in the town, and the expense of the neces- 
sary work against both species will be small, unless the 
general inspection which will be made in the near future 
should reveal the presence of large gypsy moth colonies. 

Randolph. 
Royal T. Mann, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $399 05 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 798 10 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 15 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

The State inspectors from this office have located 10 places 
infested with the gypsy moth in Randolph, principally in 
the residential section. One finding of the moth was made 
on the roadside in the woods near the Blue Hills Park 
Reservation. As yet there has been no thorough inspection 
of woodland. The local superintendent has cleared the 
street trees of both species of the moths, and is now carrying 
on the necessary work on private estates where the brown-tail 
moth occurs in small numbers. The sections where the 
gypsy moth has been located should be burlapped next sea- 
son, and the colonies near the park reservation should be 
thinned out and put in proper condition for treatment. 

Rockland. 
Frank H. Shaw, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . J659 09 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,318 18 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 250 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Eight gypsy moth colonies have been located in the cen- 
tral part of the town, and the inspection is still in progress. 
None of the colonies so far found are of large size, and it 
should be easy to bring them under control by the applica- 
tion of thorough methods. The usual method of burlapping 



92 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

the trees in the infested sections should be followed next 
season. The brown-tail moth is generally scattered through- 
out the town. The work of destroying both moths is now 
in progress and will be completed in the near future. 

ROCKPORT. 

Eli Gott, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $614 54 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,229 08 
1905, amount expended in work against motlis, . . . 688 11 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 73 57 

Rockport was thoroughly examined by an inspector from 
this office, and as a result the gypsy moth was found scat- 
tered throughout the entire town. In several orchards the 
moth was found in large numbers. The local superintend- 
ent has carried on his work with marked enthusiasm and 
ability, and has cleared from all the street trees the nests 
of both brown-tail and gypsy moths. A limited amount of 
cutting has been done along the infested roadsides. The 
trees in the central part of the town and in other infested 
localities should be burlapped next season and carefully 
attended. 

Rowley. 
Daniel O'Brien, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $148 78 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 297 66 
1905, amount expended in woi'k against moths, . . . 248 73 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

In one colony near the Ipswich line in Rowley a large 
number of gypsy moths were found, and numerous scatter- 
ing colonies were located in orchards throughout the town 
by the State inspector. In addition, a few gypsy moths 
occur in widely se[)arated localities in the town. During 
November and December a small ijano; of men in charofe of 
the local sui)crintendent was en<2^a<2:ed in clearins: the nests 
of both brown-tail and gypsy moths from the shade trees, 
and has now covered about two-thirds of the town. The 
brown-tail moth has been found particularly abundant in 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 93 

that part of the town near the marshes. The shade trees 
in the sections infested with the gypsy moth will require 
burlapi)in2: next year. 

Salisbury. 
Henry C. Rich, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... J170 50 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 340 99 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 762 19 
1905, amount of Stale reimbursement, - 591 69 

Thi'oiiirhout this town the gypsy moth is scattered in 
small numl^ers, and the brown-tail moth is everywhere in 
evidence. The principal gypsy moth infestations are in the 
residential section, particularly in orchards. During the 
month of November the local superintendent organized a 
small gang which has done very good work on the street 
trees. The roadsides have been cleared of the brush in a 
few of the gypsy moth colonies, but more work of this kind 
will be necessary before the moth can be combated to ad- 
vantage. Burlapping and spraying may be necessary next 
season throughout the residential section. 

SCITUATE. 
Jetson Wade, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $701 91 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,403 93 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 110 00 
1905, amount of State I'eimbursement, - 

In the summer of 1904 a single gypsy moth caterpillar 
was sent from Scituate to the office of the State Board of 
Asriculture. This was the first evidence of the occurrence 
of the moth in the town. As yet we have been unable to 
make a thorough inspection of the entire area, but as far as 
this work has progressed a few egg clusters have been found 
at widely separated points. It is important that a thorough 
inspection of the town be made in the near future, and that 
next season the trees in the infested sections be burlapped 
and thoroughly attended. The existence of a large area of 
woodland in the town emphasizes the importance of thorough 



94 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL :\IOTHS. [Jan. 

work against the moth liere. The local superintendent has 
cleared the l)rown-tail moth wel^s from the street trees and 
from many private estates. 

Sherborn. 
Walter Channing, Jr., Local Superhitenclent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . . ^178 90 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 357 80 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 40 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

The gypsy moth has been found on 10 estates in this town, 
and the brown-tail moth has been observed in small num- 
bers. None of the gypsy moth colonies offer any particular 
difficulties in the way of treatment, if the work can be carried 
on in a vigorous manner. The town officials have shown a 
most helpful spirit in the matter, and the necessary w^ork is 
being done in a thoroughly satisfactory way by the local 
superintendent. The trees in the gypsy moth colonies should 
be burlapped and carefully attended next season. 

SOUTHBOROUGH. 
Harry Burnett, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $283 92 

1906, amount required before reimbui'sement, .... 567 84 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated^ . 100 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

A single gypsy moth egg cluster was found at Fayville, 
in Southborough, by the State inspector, and a very general 
infestation by the brown-tail moth was observed in the town. 
The necessary work against the moths has been carried on 
here in a most excellent manner, and if continued under the 
present management should show satisfactory results next 
season. In Southl)orough in past years a great deal of good 
w^ork has been done in suppressing serious shade tree insects. 

Stoughton. 
William P. Kennedy, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $636 46 

1906, amount re(|uired before reimbursement, . . . 1,272 92 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 282 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 



190().] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 95 

Two places in Stoughton have been found infested by the 
gypsy moth. The egg clusters have been destroyed, and 
next season the trees should be burlapjied and carefully 
attended. The brown-tail moth is generally distributed 
throughout the entire town, but there a[)pear to be no serious 
ditficulties in controlling either insect if suitable funds are 
available. The town officials have been prompt to comply 
Avith every suggestion from this office, and as a result we are 
hopeful that the moths will soon I)e l)rought under control. 

Stow. 
J. E. Welch, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... fl61 52 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 323 02 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . 80 30 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

The inspection of roadsides, orchards and several private 
estates in this town revealed a single gypsy moth egg cluster, 
and the brown-tail moth was observed in small numbers. 
The necessary suppressive work was promptly done, but a 
further inspection will be necessary. The usual work of 
burlapping will be required next season in the gypsy moth 
colony. 

Sldbury. 
William E. Baldwin, Local Superintendent . 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $236 52 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 473 04 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 75 GO 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Nine estates in Sudbury have been found infested by the 
gypsy moth, the principal colony being located on Landham 
Road. The brown-tail moth occurs in serious numbers in 
the southern part of the town, and is generally scattered 
elsewhere over the entire area. The work in this town has 
been organized, and is being prosecuted in a satisfactory 
manner. About two-thirds of the area of the town has been 
covered at this writing. 



96 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Tewksbury. 

Charles K. French, Local Stiperi/Uendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $354 03 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 708 06 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 270 82 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

In August the inspector from this office located 3 gypsy 
moth colonies in Tewks])ury, respectively on East and Fiske 
streets and on the State farm. The town has made suitable 
provision for the work against the moths, which has been 
carried on in a satisfiictory manner. Nearly all the street 
trees of the town have been cleared of both gypsy and 
brown-tail moths, the latter insect occurring in average num- 
bers. A thorougli inspection of the town will be in order 
next season, and burlapping will be necessary in certain 
localities. 

TOPSFIELD. 
W. A. Wight, IjOcoI Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . . $190 24 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 880 47 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 626 45 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, - 

In this town the gypsy moth is scattered widely, but no 
colonies of notable size are known. The principal infesta- 
tion is in the residential section. As might be expected, 
several infestations have been found along the Newburyport 
turn])ike, the main avenue of travel in this district. No 
examination has been made as yet of the woodland, but it is 
feared that the moths may be found there in scattering num- 
bers. This inspection should have attention before the eggs 
hatch next spring. The local superintendent has cleared 
both l)r(Avn-tail and gypsy moths from the street trees over 
approximately one-half the town, and is carrying on the 
work in a satisfactory manner. The trees in the infested 
sections should be burlapped and given attention next season. 
The brown-tail moths are in scattered, but not excessive 
numbers in the town. 



190().] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 97 

Wareham. 

James J. Walsh, Local Superintendent. 

190.5, amount re<]uired before reimbursement, . . . f658 31 

1906, amount required before reimbui'sement, . . . 1,316 62 

1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 2.5 00 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

One e^g cluster of the gypsy moth was found l)y Inspec- 
tor L. A. Minott on the Rochester road at South "Wareham. 
Mr. Minott also found a dead pupa of the moth on the 
Marion road. Tlie gypsy moth infestation in Wareham, 
so far as known, is therefore slight, and seems to ofter no 
particular difficulty in the way of treatment. 

Only a few brown-tail moths have been observed in the 
town. The selectmen are fully aware of the importance of 
suppressing the moths. The thorough use of burlap next 
season should be sufficient to bring, the gypsy moth under 
control, if not to exterminate it from this town. 

Wayland. 
Peter Levitre, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $382 54 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 765 08 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 10 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Thirty-nine estates infested by the gypsy moth have been 
located in this town, and the brown-tail moth occurs in 
scattering numbers. In a single orchard on Rice Road 114 
gypsy moth Q^g clusters were found at the time of the fall 
examination. This colony adjoins woodland, and therefore 
presents a serious problem. The local superintendent has 
taken up the work in a satisfactory manner, and has com- 
l)leted the clearing of the street trees at this writing. It is 
important that the woodland in this town be given a further 
ins{)ection, and that next season a vigorous campaign of bur- 
lapping and spraying be adopted. 



98 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 



Wellesley. 
F. M. Abbott, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $2,221 43 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 4,442 85 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 246 41 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Wellesley is generally infested by the gypsy and brown- 
tail moths. None of the colonies so far observed are of 
particular size, but the conditions are ripe for a serious moth 
outbreak in the near future, unless vigorous measures are 
employed. The local superintendent has taken up the work 
wnth a great deal of enthusiasm, and is carrying on a thorough 
inspection of the entire town. The fall work against the 
moths is also under way, and is being carried out in a most 
satisfactory manner. The usual campaign of burlapping and 
possibly spraying will be necessary here next year. 

Wenuam. 

S. W. WooDASON, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement. , . . $420 40 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 840 80 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . 1,043 45 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 623 05 

This town is now generally infested by the gypsy moth. 
Only small numbers of the insect have been found in each 
locality examined, but the pest is thoroughly scattered over 
the entire town. During November the local superintendent 
cut the brush along the roadsides in the infested sections. 
At the present writing the nests of both brown-tail and 
gypsy moths on street trees throughout the greater part of 
the town have been destroyed. A large amount of work, 
particularly burlapping and spraying, must be done next 
season in this town. The work by the local superintendent 
has l)cen thorough and efficient, and should yield good results 
next season. 



190G.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 99 

West Bridgewater. 
Arthur W. Hiatt, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reinilnirsement, .... $223 24 

1906, amount required before reimbursement 446 48 

1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 15 00 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

A single a^g cluster of the gypsy moth has been found in 
this town on Main Street near Ash Street. The brown-tail 
moth is very scarce throughout the entire area. The use of 
burlap next season will ])e imperative in the place where the 
gypsy moth Qgg cluster was found. 

West Newbury. 
William Merrill, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $208 52 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . . 417 04 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 660 64 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 452 12 

A few gypsy moth egg clusters have been found in the 
central residential section of this town. The local superin- 
tendent has carried on a vigorous campaign against the 
brown-tail moth, and has practically completed clearing the 
street trees of this insect. The work has been carried on 
in a thorough manner, and should yield good results next 
season if followed up by burlapping in the localities infested 
with thfe gypsy moth. The roadside brush has ])een cut out 
in the infested district and the trees put in proper condition 
for next season's work. 

Weston. 
F. G. Cooper, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . f 1,099 50 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,199 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, . . . 254 48 
19J5, amount of State reimbursement, 

During the caterpillar season Inspector H. W. Vinton 
found gypsy moth larvw in Weston, scattered along North 
Avenue from the Waltham line nearlv to Lincoln. The fall 



100 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

examination developed a ireneral infestation by the gypsy 
moth over the entire town, this being most notable on Cen- 
tral Avenue. Over 300 nests have been treated in the 
Linwood Cemetery, and the adjoining woodland is also 
somewhat infested. The condition with regard to the gypsy 
moth in Weston is most serious, because of the large amount 
of woodland exposed to infestation, if indeed not already 
infested. A thorough inspection of the entire town is im- 
perative at the earliest })0ssible moment. The brown-tail 
moth is generally distributed in the town, and is notably 
abundant in the white oak woodlands. The town officials 
have co-o})erated fully in suppressing the moths, although 
the eiforts of the local superintendent have been somewhat 
handicapped by reason of his other business interests. The 
work on public trees has been completed, and that on private 
estates is being carried on at this writing. 

Westwood. 
C. H. SouTHERLAND, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . . $415 96 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . . 831 93 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 50 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

An infestation by the gypsy moth was reported from this 
town by Dr. H. T. Fernald, Amherst, Mass., to whom 
specimens of the insect had been sent for identification. An 
examination by Inspector E. M. Sadler during the ])ast 
month shows a single infested tree in the section from which 
these specimens were taken. The l)roAvn-tail moth is not 
abundant in this town. If the infested tree, which is badly 
decayed, is cut and burned this w'inter, and the trees in the 
immediate vicinity burlappcd next season, this colony should 
be exterminated. 

Weymouth. 
DuMMER Sewall, Locttl Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . f 1,413 07 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 2,826 15 
1905, amount expended in woriv against mollis, estimated, . 175 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 101 

Two serious gypsy moth colonies are known in Weymouth, 
and the insect has been found in scattering numbers throughout 
the entire area. The infestations along the main line of travel 
from Boston and Quincy are of })articular importance because 
of the danger of farther distribution of the moth by vehicles. 

Throughout the town the l^rown-tail moth is present in 
serious numljers. To such an extent is this town infested 
by the latter insect that last summer there was a great deal 
of complaint from summer visitors because of poisoning by 
the caterpillars. The street trees throughout the town have 
been cleared of the gypsy moth egg clusters, and work 
against the brown-tail moth is now under way. During the 
fall inspection many gypsy moth egg clusters observed on 
private estates were destroyed, but a great deal of work of 
this kind remains to be done. The efficient work of the 
local superintendent has been heartily supported by the town 
officials, and should show good results next season. The 
street trees throughout the town should be burlapped, and 
much thorough Avork will also be required on private estates. 
The gypsy moth infestation of this town is among the most 
disquieting features of the situation in the entire district south 
of Boston. 

Whitman. 
Clarence A. Randall, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, . . . $787 16 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . 1,574 32 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, estimated, . 60 00 
1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Some 25 estates infested by the gypsy moth have been 
found in this town, which as yet has not been completely in- 
spected. The principal infestations are along Washington 
Street, the main thoroughfare. The brown-tail moth is 
generally in evidence in small numbers throughout the towm. 
Work against both moths on the street trees has been com- 
pleted, and a number of the private estates have been ex- 
amined. We have assurances that this latter work will be 
prosecuted with much vigor in the near future, and that 
everything necessary will be done before the hatching period 
of the egg clusters. 



102 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Wilmington. 

William L. Kelley, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before reimbursement, .... $245 50 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, . . . . 491 00 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, ..... 

A few small gypsy moth colonies have been found, princi- 
pally in the southern |)art of the town, while the brown-tail 
moth occurs generally throughout the entire area. The other 
business interests of the local superintendent have prevented 
him from giving the necessarj^ attention to the work of de- 
stroying the moths, or as much as he probably would have 
given under other circumstances. At the present writing 
active work has just commenced under the direction of a 
competent foreman, and we have assurances that it will be 
prosecuted with vigor until completed. A general campaign 
of burlapping will be necessary next season in the town, with 
})Ossibly a small amount of spraying in certain localities. 

Yarmouth. 
Charles R. Bassett, Local Superintendent. 

1905, amount required before i-eimbursement §363 20 

1906, amount required before reimbursement, .... 726 40 
1905, amount expended in work against moths, ... 

1905, amount of State reimbursement, 

Late in December a sinirle esfor cluster was found ])v an 
inspector from this office on a street tree near the centre 
of the town. The brown-tail moth is much in evidence, and 
we have assurances that the local work will be promptly 
organized and prosecuted with vigor. 

Summary of Condition of Territory. 
The general condition of the territory occupied by the 
gypsy moth may be briefly summarized as follows : in the 
section lying east of a line drawn through Newton, Waltham, 
Lexington and Burlington, and running northeasterly through 
Reading, Danvers and Manchester, the infestation is now 
most alarming. Residential sections in all these central 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 103 

towns are thoroughly infested, egg clusters are numerous 
on street trees, and large areas of woodland have been 
seriously devastated by caterpillars. Outside of this central 
infested district there are notable colonies at Quincy, Hyde 
Park, North Reading, Gloucester, Ipswich and Newbury- 
port, while the condition of other infested localities, such as 
Hinghani, Weymouth, Braintree, Concord, Weston, Wenham 
and Essex, is sufficient to cause gravest anxiety for the future. 
It may well be said that throughout the central infested dis- 
trict there will undoubtedly be severe injury to w'oodlands 
during the caterpillar season of 1906. The funds at present 
available will hardly suffice to keep the street trees and 
private estates reasonably clear from the moths, while in the 
outlying towns much hard work w'ill be required to prevent 
the pest from increasing to formidable proportions. To 
secure a reasonable measure of success in controlling the 
gypsy moth, the heartiest co-operation on the part of all 
l)roperty owniers is an imperative necessity. 

Throughout all the territory occupied by the gypsy moth 
the brown-tail moth occurs in varying numbers, the most 
severe infestations being to the north of Boston. The insect 
has also shown itself in important numbers in such centres 
of population as Worcester, Fitchburg, Leominster and 
Gardner. The principal spread of this insect has been 
along the coast line and in a northerly direction over the 
interior cities and towns. 

Work for 1906. 
During the coming winter months the work of destroying 
nests of both gypsy and brown-tail moths on street trees, 
in parks and on other public reservations throughout the 
infested district will be pushed as rapidly as is consistent 
with thoroughness. Special effort will be made to induce 
property owners to clear their estates of the moths ; and it 
is now intended that all this private work shall be inspected 
by trained emplo3'ees of the local forces or by inspectors 
from this office, in order to detect and destroy any infesta- 
tions that may have been overlooked. It is apparent that 
the act will not yield sufficient revenue to do all that could 



104 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

be desired on private estates above the owners' financial 
liability. Such being the case, the principal efforts will be 
directed to stanipino: out the moths in the most generally 
infested residential sections. So far as funds permit, the 
woodlands having the worst gypsy moth infestation will l)e 
thinned, the egg clusters on the remaining trees destroyed, 
and the colonies put in condition for economical banding or 
spraying. 

As soon as the gypsy moth eggs hatch next spring, these 
colonies should be burned over with a light fire to destroy 
the young caterpillars on the ground growth. Burlapping 
for caterpillars will be desirable on street trees generally 
throughout the central infested district. Arrangements are 
being perfected for a vigorous campaign of spraying. In 
many of the central towns all the street trees should be 
sprayed ; in the outlying towns the trees standing in or near 
infested places will require the same treatment ; and, so far 
as time and funds permit, sprajang also will be prosecuted 
vigorously in the woodland colonies. In the central towns 
the burlaps will require frequent inspection, and also in all 
infested sections in the outer towns. 

All available resources must be brought to bear in the 
efibrt to prevent the farther spread of the gypsy moth, 
whether locally or to a distance. Every mile added to the 
outlying border tremendously increases the total infested 
area and the expense of the work, and the same considera- 
tions apply to the establishment of new colonies within the 
known infested district. 

As soon as the gypsy moth egg clusters have been laid, in 
the late summer, creosoting operations will begin, particu- 
larly on those within reach from the ground, in order to 
prevent them from becoming broken and the eggs from 
being scattered. Following this, the regular campaign of 
fall cleaning of gypsy egg clusters and of brown-tail web 
destruction will be in order. 

From time to time the superintendent has freely called 
upon Prof. C. H. Fernald, Amherst, Mass., for consultation 
and advice, which has been as freely given. From his 
position as entomologist for many ye;irs to the gypsy moth 




Brown-tail moths clustered on electric light pole. 
Maiden, July, 1905. 



190G.] PUBLIC DOCUjVIENT — No. 73. 105 

committee of the State Board of Agriculture, Professor 
Fernald is able to express opinions based on a thorough 
knowledije of the insects, and his counsel has l)een of high- 
est vahie. 

Keport of Consulting Entomologist. 

A. II. KutiCLAND, P2sq., Superintendent for Suppressing the Oypsy and 
Brown-tail Moths, Boston, Mass. 

Dear Sir : — The observations made during the past season in 
the territory infested with the gypsy moth have convinced me that 
this insect presents one of the most serious problems confronting 
the citizens of this Commonwealth. The condition of the infested 
territory in 1900, at tlie time the Legislature closed the work of 
exterminating this insect, was such that only small colonies occurred 
at intervals over a territory of 359 square miles, and there was 
every reasonable prospect that it could be exterminated in a com- 
paratively few years. 

The gypsy moth has now not only become very generally dis- 
tributed over the old territory where it is doing a vast amount of 
damage, but has also extended far beyond its former limits, and 
at the present time has infested not less than 2,224 square miles, 
or more than one-fourth of the entire area of the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts. This rapid rate of distribution is enough to con- 
vince one that, unless the most vigorous measures are taken to 
control this pest, it will within a comparatively few years be found 
in every part of this Commonwealth and throughout New England. 

The assessed value of the land, exclusive of buildings, in the 
present infested territory is $992,800,984, while that in the remain- 
ing part of the State is $272,429,686. In other words, the gypsy 
moth has already infested over 77 per cent of the land value of 
the entire State. 

One of the most serious problems confronting those in charge of 
the work of suppression is the forest land in the infested territory. 
The amount of woodland in the entire State, as given in the last 
State census, is 1,460,995 acres, and it is valued at $23,936,362, 
or $16.38 per acre. The amount of woodland in the territory 
already infested with the gypsy moth is 365,265 acres, and is 
valued at $9,894,885, or $27.08 per acre; while the woodland in 
the remaining portion of the State is 1,095,729 acres, and is valued 
at $14,041,470, or $12.81 per acre. 

The cheapest and most successful method known at the present 
time of destroying the gypsy moths in forests is to cut and burn 



100 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

all the underbrush aud more or less of the trees, leaving the more 
valuable ones to be burlapped the following season. The cost of 
this work must necessarily vary according to the nature and condi- 
tion of the forest ; but those who have had the most experience state 
that the cost in an average forest is not far from $50 per acre, aud 
to this must be added the expense of putting burlaps on all the 
remaining trees the following season and killing the caterpillars 
under them ; and all of this work will have to be repeated as often 
as the forests become reinfested, since, however small their value, 
they will be a constant menace to near-by premises. This cost of 
clearing forests is more than three times the average assessed 
value of the woodlands of this entire Commonwealth, and un- 
doubtedly much more than their intrinsic value. If, therefore, no 
method can be discovered by means of which the forests can be 
protected from the ravages of the gypsy moth, the outlook for all 
owners of woodland in this State is extremely discouraging. If to 
the expense of clearing and protecting the forests we add that of 
clearing aud protecting the orchards, the nurseries, the gardens, 
the ornamental trees and shrubs and the public and private parks 
throughout this Commonwealth, the aggregate annual expense will 
be enormous. 

In view of these facts, it is of the greatest importance that the 
further spread of the gypsy moth in this State should be prevented, 
and that such thorough work be done in all the infested cities and 
towns that there will be very little chance of the escape of moths 
into new territory. The property of all the land owners in central 
and western Massachusetts is seriously threatened, and they are 
powerless to prevent the impending invasion unless the State 
comes to their assistance and insures them against loss from the 
depredations of the gypsy moth. This can be done only by direct 
appropriations for the suppression of the pest. It would be hard 
to say at this time what annual appropriation by the State, together 
with that required by law from the infested cities aud towns, would 
be necessary to prevent the insect from spreading into central and 
western Massachusetts ; but suppose those in charge should find, 
as the work goes on, that it would be necessary for the State to 
make an annual appropriation of $200,000, what part of this would 
a land owner in the uninfested part of the State have to pay ? 

The taxable property in this State, as given in the last Manual of 
the General Court of Massachusetts, page 235, is $3,420,197,428. 
If this amount of property be assessed for $200,000, the tax on $1 
would be a little less than one-seventeenth of a mill ($0.000yL) ; 
and a man owning taxable property to the value of $5,000 or a 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 107 

farm of that value would have to pay a tax of $0,294, which 
might be regarded as a premium paid to the State to insure him 
against the ravages of the gypsy moth. This is far less than one 
would have to pay for clearing the moths from a single apple tree. 
If this same tax should be continued for forty years, as long as a 
man would be likely to have charge of a farm, his premiums for 
that time would amount in all to 811.76, — a much smaller sum 
than would be required to clear this pest from a small orchard in a 
single year. 

It is therefore by far the wisest policy for all kind owners to 
insist that the necessary appropriations be made for suppressing 
the gypsy moth, and that the work be carried on in the most 
approved and economical manner, but at the same time in such a 
way as to insure success. 

The brown-tail and gypsy moths differ so much in their habits 
that they should be considered separately. The female brown-tail 
moth flies very freely, while the other does not fly at all ; and this 
enables the former to become distributed far more widely in the 
same length of time than the latter. The young caterpillars of 
the brown-tail moth are gregarious, and hibernate in winter tents 
on the twigs of trees, where they can be easily seen and removed 
at any time during the winter. They are therefore more easily 
destroyed than the gypsy moth, and, as they feed on a much 
smaller number of kinds of trees and shrubs, they have never 
caused so much damage as the gypsy moth. 

The caterpillars of the brown-tail moth during the latter part of 
their existence before pupating are furnished with exceedingly 
minute nettling spines in innumerable numbers which are freely 
scattered, and when they come in contact with the human skin 
they cause an intolex'able itching and a most unpleasant sensa- 
tion such as no one can appreciate until he has had the experi- 
ence. This feature of the brown-tail moth brings it very forcibly 
to the attention of people whose premises are infested, and gives 
this insect a greater notoriety than has been gained by the gypsy 
moth. 

Much has been said and written about the importation of para- 
sites, and great hopes have been entertained that parasites might 
be found which would destroy both the gypsy and brown-tail 
moths. 

While the work of extermination was going on during the 
nineties, I was not in favor of importing parasites, for the reason 
that in working for extermination the caterpillars containing para- 
sites might be killed, and in tliis way many and perhaps all of the 



108 OrPSY AND imOVVN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

imported parasites would be destroyed ; but I repeatedly expressed 
the opinion before the legislative committees, that, if the work for 
extermination should stop, it would be of the greatest importance 
to make a thorough and exhaustive investigation of the subject of 
parasites and to import such as would destroy these two moths. 

The work of importing parasites is not so simple a matter as 
one might suppose, and should be undertaken only by a skilled 
entomologist. This work was begun last summer, and we were 
so fortunate as to enlist the services of Ur. L. O. Howard, chief 
of the Bureau of P^utomology of the Department of Agriculture, 
Washington, D. C, one of the foremost entomologists in the 
world, and one who has probably given more real scientific study 
and investigation to the subject of parasites and parasitism than 
any other living entomologist. Dr. Howard visited Europe last 
summer for the express purpose of studying the parasites of the 
gypsy and brown-tail moths, and of making arrangements for 
successive shipments of them during the year ; and it is to be 
hoped that he will be able to go over again next summer and 
continue the work he has begun with so much energy. 

It is not to be expected that foreign parasites, even when suc- 
cessfully introduced, will produce results at once, for it will take 
time for them to multiply and increase to such an extent as to ma- 
terially reduce the number of the caterpillars upon which they 
feed. It is not even certain that the parasites of these two insects 
when brought to this country will accomplish the purpose for 
which they were imported. This work is entirely experimental, but 
it is certainly desirable to give it a faithful trial. In the mean time, 
every effort should be made to suppress these moths and prevent 
their spread into the uninfested parts of the State ; so that, if the 
parasites fail in their work, these insect pests may be kept within 
their present limits rather than scattered over the entire State. 

I am glad to know that it is the purpose of the present manage- 
ment to thoroughly investigate this matter of importing parasites 
and to adopt every possible means for their successful introduction. 
Respectfully submitted, 

Charles H. Feunald. 
Amhekst, Mass., Dec. 15, 1905. 

Work against the Brown-tail Moth. 
The work against the brown-tail moth webs began in 
several cities and towns about November 20, and by Decem- 
ber 1 the foliage had fallen sufficiently to permit of general 




Pears and apples covered by brown-tail moth webs. September, 

1905. Care should be used to clean such fruit 

before it is shipped. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 109 

work against this insect. During tlie month of December 
the removal of brown-tail moth webs on shade trees was 
actively carried on, while at the same time the eo^g clusters 
of the gypsy moth high up in the trees were destroyed by 
the same gangs, thus economizing labor. The mild weather 
of the fail caused the leaves on apple trees to remain until 
well into the month of December, and thus delayed in a 
marked degree the work on private estates ; however, 
throughout the entire month many thousand property 
owners were diligently engaged in destroj'ing webs. 

At this }K)iut it may be well to mention a common error 
made by citizens and contractors in removing webs, particu- 
larly on pear trees. In far too many cases the entire tops 
of the trees have been cut oft*, leaving large, unsightly 
stumps, seriously injuring the trees and shortening their 
lives. On general principles it would be better, if this 
practice is to be adopted, to cut the trees down at once, 
rather than to leave them to decay or become matted with 
an unsightly growth of branches. 

Since the brown-tail moth has now become so thoroughly 
established, and promises to be a permanent resident, it will 
be well for property owners in the future to so prune young 
fruit trees as to induce a low heading. Trees which have 
been grown with a low head, aside from the obvious advan- 
tages of ease of spraying and picking the fruit, arc much 
more readil}^ freed from the brown-tail moth webs than those 
which have been allowed to run up to a high head. 

Another matter worthy of the careful attention of those 
who are planting fruit trees in the village house-lot garden 
is the wisdom of using dwarf stocks. At the present time 
many desirable varieties of pears and apples can be pro- 
duced on dwarf trees. It is a well-known fact that such 
trees yield fruit of superior size and quality, take up less 
room, allow for a greater number of varieties in the garden, 
and, in addition, — which seems highly important, from our 
standpoint, — can be easily cleared from the brown-tail and 
the gypsy moth. 

One of the most alarming features connected with the de- 
struction of the brown-tail moth is the fact that nearly all the 



110 GYPSY AND BROWX-TAIL ^lOTIIS. [Jan. 

nurseries in eastern Massachusetts have now become in- 
fested. While the system of nursery inspection has been 
carried on efficiently under the direction of Dr. H. T. Fer- 
nald, and while nurserymen, as a I'ule, show a disposition to 
suppress the moth on their property, at the same time there 
is great danger that a few nests may be overlooked in ship- 
ping out nursery stock, and that in this way the insect may 
become distributed over a wide area. It would not be a 
matter for surprise if the brown-tail moth is found at any 
point in the eastern United States. 

As affording an idea of the abundance of the brown-tail 
moth, even in limited areas, where conditions favor the in- 
crease of the insect, the figures given by William Allen, 
assistant superintendent, Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cam- 
bridge, are of interest. During the winter of 1904-05 Mr. 
Allen removed from the trees in the cemetery 700 bushels 
of l)rown-tail moth webs, averaging 330 webs to the bushel, 
or a total of 231,000 webs. Estimating these at the aver- 
age figure of 250 caterpillars per web, we have 57,750,000 
caterpillars destroyed by this operation. 

Work by Other State Boards. 
A considerable amount of land in the infested district is 
under the control of the Metropolitan Park Commission and 
the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board, while along the 
State highways the roadside trees are now under the care of 
the Massachusetts Highway Commission. All these boards 
have endeavored to co-operate with the State superintendent 
and with the local authorities in the work of suppressing the 
moths, and a brief summary of their operations to date is 
given in the following correspondence : — 

Metropolitan Park Commission, 
Boston, Jan. 12, liWfi. 

Prof. A. II KiRKLAND, Superintendent for the Suppression of the Oypsy 
and Browfi-tail Moths, 6 Beacon Street, Boston. 
Dear Sir: — The Metropolitan Park Cominissiou presents here- 
with a summary of the work done against the gypsy and browu- 
tail moths duriug the past year in the reservations and parkways 
under its care and control, and of the work contemplated during 



1906. J PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. Ill 

the present year, and first wish to thank you for your kind assist- 
ance with information, advice and inspection, and your offer of 
work in the neighborhood of the reservations and parkways, in- 
tended to protect them from incursions of the moths. 

During the winter and spring of 1905 a considerable amount of 
tree and brush cutting and burning over of the ground was done at 
the spots of most serious infestation in the reservations. This 
cutting had for its primary purpose facilitating the work of repres- 
sion of the moths, and incidentally improvement of the tree growth 
and of the landscape. The result was necessarily injurious to the 
landscape where the ground was burned over and brush temporarily 
destroyed. In these same regions and along the parkways the 
gypsy moth nests were creosoted, and at some points auxiliary 
spraying was done during the summer. The result was satisfac- 
tory in the regions where the work was done, but the amount of 
the appropriations did not permit its being extended over an entire 
reservation ; and therefore, although the work was carried to the 
full extent of the funds appropriated, did not prevent the spread 
of the moths to other parts of the reservations, especially in the 
Middlesex Fells. 

A careful review of the situation in the early autumn made the 
commission feel that it would be possible, with such appropriations 
as might reasonably be expected for its maintenance, to care for 
the reservations and parkways except Blue Hills and Middlesex 
Fells either with its own forces or through contractors, and, in 
either case, with your advice and inspection. In the Blue Hills we 
were advised by you that gypsy moth colonies had been found in 
various parts of the deep woods. As the necessity for work 
against these pests had not been known to exist, and the superin- 
tendent and forces in the reservation had no experience in the 
work against them, it was deemed wise to ask you to supervise the 
immediate measures of repression which appeared absolutely neces- 
sary. You very kindly assigned to the work a manager whom you 
stated to us you considered to be one of your most experienced 
and reliable men. In the Middlesex Fells it was also decided, in 
conference with you, that, as work had already been done by our 
forces under special appropriations for that purpose, it was wise to 
continue the work, omitting therefrom certain operations which had 
a tendency to unduly affect the landscape, such as burning over 
the ground cover, and substituting therefor other measures equally 
effective. This work has continued energetically since September, 
with the result that almost the entire reservation has been cleared 
of weak sprout growth and tall growths of sorts which are non- 



112 GYPSY AND BROWX-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

floweriug, or which have little value for their foliage. It is need- 
less to say that the completion of this work has immensely reduced 
the difficulty and expense of the more direct kinds of work against 
the moths throughout the reservation, has rendered it more acces- 
sible and useful to the general public, and will also be a help to 
the vegetation. In addition to this brush cutting a litnited amount 
of tree cutting has already been done, and will, if possible, be con- 
tinued during the winter, with a view to removing trees of minor 
value, those which are badly diseased or broken, and those which 
are crowding more valuable trees so as to be an injury to their 
growth. This work will be conducted very carefully, and will 
necessarily be limited to removing no more trees than will still 
leave the forest-like appearance of the reservation, even though it 
be necessary to leave standing more trees than perhaps the forester 
or the gypsy moth antagonist would advise. 

In addition to the above work, which is merely preliminary work 
intended to facilitate the actual destruction of the eggs and moths 
themselves, creosoting of the nests of the gypsy moth was begun, 
first, at your suggestion, on the trunks of the trees along the road- 
sides, paths and picnic grounds much frequented by the public, 
and next of the nests found on the ground, rocks and trunks of 
trees to a height likely to be covered by snow during the winter, 
on a strip along the borders of the reservation 150 feet wide. As 
this work was finished, the creosoting of other nests upon trees or 
plainly visible upon the rocks and ground over a strip of 500 feet 
wide along the entire border was begun, and has now been largely 
completed. It is the wish of the commission to continue this 
creosoting work over the entire reservation, so that, in addition to 
the border strips, tree work shall be completed throughout the 
reservation, and both ground and tree work shall be completed in 
such sections as contain the most valuable conifers. It is the 
intention of the commission, if funds are provided for that purpose, 
to baud the trees for a broad strip along the borders of the entire 
reservation on the principal highways, and, if possible, throughout 
the seriously infested portions of the district. It is also the desire 
of the commission to spray at least the borders of the reservation, 
and of sections containing the most valuable coniferous trees and 
the most seriously infested sections of the reservation. It is also 
the desire of the commission to use oiled hay and other means of 
preventing the caterpillars from leaving the reservation. 

The work above outlined could not be begun last j^ear until the 
special appropriations for maintenance became available late in 
February. These appropriations were exhausted in September; 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 113 

but, in view of tlie fact tliat the State bad authorized you to super- 
intend the carrying on of extensive work in the territory outside 
the reservations, it was deemed wise to begin the work, at the ex- 
pense of other funds not primarily intended for this purpose, in 
September last, with the result that we are now farther along with 
the work than we have ever been in any previous year. At the 
same time, it will hardly be possible to continue this work out of 
these funds beyond the time when the Legislature shall decide what 
maintenance appropriations shall become available for this year. 
We shall therefore be obliged to ask for a large special appropria- 
tion this year, and we deem the matter so important that, when it 
is under consideration, we trust you will, if possible, appear before 
the committee and give your testimony in regard to the character 
of the work being done and the advisability of the appropriation. 

Again thanking you for your kindly interest and assistance, I 
remain, 

Very respectfull}^ yours, 

(Signed) W. B. de las Casas, 

Chairman. 

Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board, 
Boston, Mass., Jan. 5, 1906. 

Mr. A. H. Kirkland, Superintendent for Stqjpressing Gypsy mid 
Brown-tail Moths, 6 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass. 

Dear Sir : — In response to your request I send you a brief 
description of tlie work done by the Metropolitan Water and 
Sewerage Board in protecting property under its charge from the 
ravages of the gypsy and brown-tail moths. This w^ork has been 
confined mainly to the property around Spot Pond, although con- 
siderable work has been done on property at Mystic Lake and the 
Mystic pumping station, and at the Chestnut Hill reservoir. 

The land around Spot Pond belonging to the Board comprises 
about 200 acres, all of which is infested to a greater or less degree 
with both gypsy and brown-tail moths. For the double purpose 
of improving the character of the wooded areas and of reducing 
the number of trees to be protected, a large number of trees on 
the thickly wooded areas have been cut down. Between Feb. 24 
and July 21, 1905, about $5,000 was expended in protecting the 
remaining trees by applying creosote to the egg clusters of the 
gypsy moth, placing bands of burlap and also of Tanglefoot 
around the trees, and by spraying the foliage with Disparene. 
Nearly all of this sum was expended in protecting about 80 acres 
of land, most of which was badly infested with gypsy moths. All 



114 GYPSY AND BROAVN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

egg clusters on the trees and grounds were carefully painted with 
creosote, but a large number of caterpillars appeared in the spring 
from off the ground, due, probably, to broken egg clusters acci- 
dentally scraped from the trees which were cut down during the 
winter. Tanglefoot was applied to each tree as soon as the new 
caterpillars were discovered, but not soon enough to prevent 
thousands from getting into the trees. From May 12 to July 21 
the trees were sprayed with Disparene, the plant used for the 
work being a ten horse-power portable steam boiler ; a single 
acting steam pump ; two 300-gallon tanks, in which the Disparene 
was mixed in the proportion of 10 pounds to 100 gallons of water; 
and 1,000 feet of one-inch and three-quarter-inch wrought-iron 
pipe, to which was connected seven lines of one-half-inch rubber 
hose, fitted with double spraying nozzles. At several points 
windrows of hay sprinkled with gas oil were used, to prevent the 
caterpillars from entering our property from the surrounding land 
which had not been protected. 

As a result of these measures, the foliage on the trees on the 
land of the Board was injured but very little, and showed a very 
marked contrast from that on adjoining property. The number 
of gypsy moth egg clusters to be destroyed on this area during the 
coming season is comparatively small, and by a prompt applica- 
tion of Tanglefoot it is expected that but little spraying with 
Disparene will be required daring the coming season. 

The land west of the pond is now badly infested with both 
gypsy and brown-tail moths, and a force is at present employed 
in painting the egg clusters with a mixture of equal parts of 
creosote and gas oil, and cutting off and burning the nests of the 
brown-tail moths. This work was commenced November 20, and 
up to January 1 about $1,300 had been expended. 

The total cost of work on the Spot Pond property, exclusive of 
the work of cutting trees, was $6,300 for the year. Work of a 
similar character at Mj'stic Lake pumping station and reservoir 
has cost about $700, and at Chestnut Hill reservoir $500, making 
a total of $7,500 expended during the year in protecting trees on 
the property in charge of the Board. 

Some of the land of the Board in Marlborough, Southborough 
and Framingham is infested with brown-tail moths, and a few 
clusters of eggs of the gypsy moth have been found in Weston, 
Wayland and Framingham. 

Yours very truly, 

(Signed) Dexter Bkackett, 

Engineer Sudbury and Distribution Departments. 




Winter webs of brown-tail moth on oak. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 115 

Massachusetts Highway Commission, 
Boston, Jan. 1, 1906. 

Mr. A. H. KiKKLAND, State Superintendent for the Suppression of 
Gypsy and Broxvn-tail Moths, 6 Deacon Street, Boston, Mass. 

Dear Siu : — The Acts of 1905, chapter 279, gives the Massa- 
chusetts Highway Commission excUisive care and control of all 
shade trees within the limits of the State highways. 

The records in the office of the Superintendent for the Sup- 
pression of Gypsy and Brown-tail Moths show that there are 
approximately 80 cities and towns in which State highways are 
located where the pests have been found. It is probable that the 
trees on the State highways in many of the towns are not infested, 
although colonies may have been found within the municipal limits. 

The reports of the engineers of the commission indicate that in 
most of the towns the moths have not yet made much progress, but 
that in a few instances, notably the State road from Stoueham to 
Lawrence and the State road from Arlington to Burlington, the 
trees are badly infested by both pests. 

The commission intends to suppress the moths wherever they 
may be found within the State highway locations, and several 
contracts have already been let, with this end in view. Work is 
already in progress on the roads before referred to as being badly 
infested, under a contract with a private firm of contractors. All 
other contracts thus far made have been with the local authorities. 
In the opinion of the commission, it is probable that most of this 
work will be done in this manner, for the reason that the municipal 
officers are alreadj' at work with organized forces on the town 
roads, and it is thought that the State highway work may be done 
more economically by them in connection with the town work than 
by outside contractors. 

Yours truly, 

(Signed) A. B. Fletcher, 
• Secretary, 

At the Dan vers Asylum tind also at the State Hospital in 
Tewksbur}', both properties being infested by the gypsy 
and brown-tail moths, operations to suppress the pests are 
under way. 

At the United States reservation at Nahant, owing largely 
to the activities of Mr. George Abbot James, tree warden, 
the badly infested area is being thoroughly cleared. At 
the United States naval nitre depot, Maiden, and also at the 
various fort reservations along the harl^or front, the authori- 



116 GYPSY AXD BROWN-TAIL :\10THS. [Jan. 

ties in charge arc now at work destroying the egg chisters 
and nests of the moths, while equally good work is under 
way at the United States arsenal at AVatertown. In short, 
all State and national boards, whose attention has been 
called to the matter, have shown a most helpful desire to do 
their share in suppressing these pests on the property under 
their care. 

Importing Natural Enemies. 

The Legislature of 1905 provided for the expenditure of 
$10,000 a year for three years for the investigation and im- 
portation of parasites and other natural enemies of the moths. 
It is a well-established fact that in Europe, where the gypsy 
and brown-tail moths are natives, outbreaks of these insects 
arc checked in a few years by their natural enemies. While 
it is perfectly true that at intervals these pests show them- 
selves as terrific plagues, yet in a short time the "balance 
of nature," as scientists call it, asserts itself, and they sub- 
side as a result of the attacks of the natural enemies. For 
many years it has seemed most desirable to investigate the 
enemies of the two moths in Europe, and to import those 
which promise to be of the greatest assistance in combating 
the pests. The broad view taken of this problem by the 
Legislature, as shown by the legislation above mentioned, 
has made possible a thoroughgoing effort along these lines. 

Following his appointment, the present superintendent, 
with the approval of His Excellency the Governor, went to 
Washington, and by arrangement with the Honorable Sec- 
retary of Agriculture, Mr. James Wilson, was enabled to 
secure the co-operation and services of Dr. L. O. Howard, 
chief of the Bureau of Entomology of the United States 
Department of Agriculture. At the instance of the Hon. 
Ernest C. Roberts of the seventh congressional district, the 
last Congress had already made a small appro})riation for 
the purpose of investigating parasites of the moths. AVith 
the larger sum made available by the Massachusetts Legis- 
lature, it was possible to lay out comprehensive })lans for 
the importation of desiral)lc parasites. 

Dr. Howard went abroad in the interests of this work 
early last sunnner, and succeeded in organizing a chain of 



lyOti.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 73. 117 

trained agents, men of rccognizccl standing as entomologists, 
extending from southern Italy through Switzerland, Austria, 
Germany and France. Since that date all these different 
agents have been busily engaged, so far as their opportuni- 
ties would permit, in collecting parasites of the moths and 
forwarding them to the superintendent. 

The State of Massachusetts is particularly fortunate in 
securing the assistance of a man of Dr. Howard's high sci- 
entific attainments, experience in importing parasites of 
injurious insects and thorough knowledge of European con- 
ditions. For years he has been in touch with European 
entomologists, and has placed them under a great many 
obligations. We are thus a])le now to take advantage not 
only of his technical knowledge but also of his personal 
acquaintance with scientists abroad, which has already been 
of great value. 

Through the courtesy of the Hon. G. H. Lyman, collector 
of the port of Boston, and Mr. G. A. Hibbard, postmaster, 
Boston, shipments of parasites arriving by either express or 
mail have been promptly received. The most numerous 
sendings have, however, come via the port of New York, 
and to facilitate their prompt forwarding the Honorable 
Secretary of Agriculture issued the following regulation : — 

Regulation I. 

United States Department of Agriculture, 
Office of the Secretary, Washington, D. C, Nov. 21, 1905. 

Under authority of section 3 of the act of Cougress approved 
March 3, 1905 (33 Stat., 1269), it is ordered that packages con- 
taining parasites of the gypsy moth, parasites of the brown-tail 
moth, parasitized gypsy moths and parasitized brown-tail moths, 
or any of them, when addressed to A. H. Kirklaud, 6 Beacon 
Street, Boston, Mass., U. S. A., or to the Superintendent for 
Suppressing the Gypsy and Brown-tail Moths, 6 Beacon Street, 
Boston, Mass., U. S. A., may be shipped, until otherwise ordered, 
from any European country into the United States, entry to be 
made either through the port of Boston or the port of New York. 

Done at Washington, this twenty- first day of November, 1905. 

Witness my hand and the seal of the Department of Agriculture. 

James Wilson, 

Secrelari). 



118 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

As a result of this co-opcnitive work, the State superin- 
tendent has received from abroad several hundred parasites 
of the gypsy moth, while at the present time nearly every 
steamer brings a consignment of brown-tail moth webs con- 
taining parasites. During December many thousands of these 
webs were received and forwarded to the Saugus laboratory. 
People who have suffered from the brown-tail moth plague 
will find consolation in the fact that in Europe this pest is 
said to be extensively parasitized in the web stage, although 
in this country the webs are practically free from attack. 
The superintendent is very hopeful that from the imported 
webs there will be developed a large swarm of beneficial 
parasites, which will help in the work of suppressing the 
brown-tail moth. 

As soon as the field work of the summer of 1905 was under 
Avay, a temporary scientific laboratory was established at 
Maiden, and a careful search made for a suitable location for 
the permanent laboratory for propagating parasites. The 
importation of parasites is but one feature of the experiment. 
The insects, after arrival, must be carefully sorted, reared, 
propagated and disseminated. A careful watch must be kept 
at all times to detect and destroy any secondary parasites. 

It was desirable to locate the laboratory in a section 
thoroughly infested by both moths, so that there might be 
available at all times plenty of material for food for the 
parasites. It was also necessary to secure a considerable 
area of land which could be controlled for use in out-door 
experiments. It was decided, as a measure of economy, to 
lease a small farm with buildings, and after considerable 
search such a place was found in North Saugus. This lo- 
cality, while easily accessible by electric cars, is sufficiently 
isolated to escape any marked visitation from curiosity 
seekers and others who might accidentally or intentionally 
disturb experiments in progress. We were fortunate in 
securing a house large enough to give ample room for use 
as a laboratory, and at the same time to furnish dwelling 
rooms for the entomologist in charge of the work. Thus 
the man who is responsiljlc for the care and rearing of the 
parasites is at all times on the ground, and can give them 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 119 

the necessary attention and protection from injury. In the 
immediate vicinity is a chain of hirge woodhind colonies 
of the gypsy moth, and near by arc numerous orchards 
infested by the brown-tail moth, as well as a considerable 
area of scrub oak land where the latter insect occurs in large 
numbers. 

The part of the building needed for laboratory purposes 
has been fitted up with shelves, tables, breeding-cages, jars 
and other necessary supplies. Arrangements have also 
been made for the use of a certain number of fruit trees 
near by, which will be covered next season with tents of 
mosquito netting to serve as out-door breeding-cages for the 
parasites. 

For the work of rearing these insects we have secured the 
services of Mr. F. H. Mosher, a well-trained entomologist, 
who for several years was associated Avith the writer in the 
scientific work of the former gypsy moth committee. We 
also made use, during the summer season, of the services 
of two students of the Massachusetts Agricultural College, 
Messrs. E. A. Back and O. L. Clark, who had received 
special training in entomological work. 

Until spring the parasites received at the laboratory wdll 
be kept in cold storage, but as soon as the warm weather 
brings out the brown-tail or gypsy moths they will be turned 
loose in cages enclosing trees infested with the moths, where 
they will have ample opportunity to propagate. It is hoped 
that a sufficient number will thus be obtained to permit of 
distribution in infested districts. 

Record of Importations. 
The following is a record of the material received to De- 
cember 15, with data concerning each shipment. As might 
be expected, the insects arrived in varying conditions. 
Early sendings from some of our correspondents were in 
paper boxes, and these were badly crushed in transit. 
Where tin boxes were used, particularly in the case of living 
insects, the moisture could not escape, and the insects were 
as a rule dead and often decayed. The best results in send- 
ing living insects were obtained by packing in wooden boxes 



120 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL :\rOTHS. [Jan. 

with a little dry si)hagnum moss. In all cases the specimens 
packed in wood came through in the best condition. The 
following is a list of material, by countries : — 

Japan. 

1. Received June 28, 1905, from the Rev. H. A. Loomis, 
Yokohama, a small wooden box, containing: 11 small dip- 
terous pupa^ ; 15 medium le})idopterous pupa\ No flies 
have emerged as yet. 

2. Received July 5, 1905, from Prof. S. V. Kuwana, Im- 
perial Japanese Department of Agriculture, Tokio, through 
the Hon. Lloyd C. Griscom, American minister, a large 
wooden case with wire gauze sides, containing a small tree 
on which had been placed a numl^er of infested gypsy moth 
caterpillars. Another case of small elms was shipped with 
the insects, and they were thus supplied with fresh food 
from time to time as far as Honolulu. Most unfortunately 
the case shrunk somewhat in transit, and nearly all the para- 
sites emerged and escaped en route. The net results were : 
75 empty AjMnteles cocoons ; 2 living Tachinids, died 
without laying ; 1 living gypsy moth larva, not parasitized ; 
20 dead gypsy moth larvie and pupa?, not parasitized ; 34 
living gypsy moth pupfe, not parasitized ; 2 living gypsy 
moth imagoes ; 1 lepidopterous cocoon, Tortricid ; 1 lepi- 
dopterous pupa ; 1 case of OoleopJiora ( ?) ; 7 cocoons of 
Buccidatrix ( ?) ; several Chrysomelids and fungous gnats. 
The case and the gypsy moths which were removed were 
kept under observation for several weeks, but no parasites 
developed ; material still on hand. 

Austria. 

1. Received July 15, 1905, from Fritz AVagner, Vienna, 
2 small wooden boxes, containing as follows : 3 dead Apan- 
teles ; 12 Apanteles cocoons, from which secondary parasites 
emerged and were destroyed; 17 brown-tail moths, dead; 
6 brown-tail moth pupa\ Material on hand at laboratory. 

2. Received July '12^ 1905, from Fritz Wagner, 3 paste- 
])()ard boxes, which contained: 25 gypsy moths; 3 gypsy 
moth i)upiv; 19 brown-tail moths; G brown-tail moth pu})a' ; 



190(3.] PUBLIC DOCUIVIENT — No. 73. 121 

4 brown-tail moth egg masses ; 1 dipterous pupa, has not 
emerged. Material at laboratory. 

3. Received July 24, 1905, from Fritz Wagner, 3 wooden 
boxes, containing: 18 living gypsy moths; 21 dead gypsy 
moths; 10 gypsy moth pupsK ; 5 dipterous pupre in vials. 
One male gypsy moth emerged July 26 and 2 females July 
28. Xo parasites have emerged as yet. Material at labora- 
tory. 

4. Received July 26, 1905, from Fritz Wagner, 2 wooden 
boxes, containing : 9 dead gypsy moths ; 1 living gypsy 
moth ; 9 gypsy moth pupa' ; 1 dead gypsy moth larva. Ap- 
parently contained no parasites. Material at laboratory. 

Germany. 

1. Received July 26, 1905, from E. Schopfer, Dresden, 
2 wooden boxes, containing : 22 gypsy moth pupae ; 1 gypsy 
moth larva, dead ; 3 gypsy moths ; 48 Tachinid pupa\ No 
parasites have emerged. Material at laboratory. 

2. Received July 27, 1905, from E. Schopfer, 5 wooden 
boxes, which contained : 53 gypsy moth pupa? ; 7 gypsy 
moth larva?, dead. No parasitic material was obtained from 
this shipment. 

3. Received July 31, 1905, from E. Schopfer, 4 wooden 
boxes, containing : 22 gypsy moth pup^e ; 1 gypsy moth 
larva, dead; 3 Tachinid pup;\?. Material at laboratory. 

4. Received July 31, 1905, from E. Schopfer, 18 wooden 
boxes, containing : 387 gypsy moth pupa? ; 1 gypsy moth 
larva, dead ; 8 Tachinid pupce. No further parasites were 
obtained, and no flies have emerged. Material at laboratory. 

5. Received Aug. 7, 1905, from E. Schopfer, 5 wooden 
boxes, containing 78 gypsy moth pupa, from which no para- 
sites were obtained. 

6. Received Aug. 9, 1905, from E. Schopfer, 12 wooden 
boxes, containing : 303 gypsy moth pupa ; 1 Tachinid pupa. 
The Tachinid flv emerged August 11 and died August 14. 
No other parasitic material was ol)tained from this shipment. 

7. Received Aug. 18, 1905, from E. Schopfer, 1 wooden 
box, which contained: 65 gypsy moth pupa; 2 Tachinid 
pupa. No flies have emerged. Material at laboratory. 



122 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Switzerland. 

1. Received July 27, 1905, from Miss Marie Riihl, Ziirich, 
6 boxes containing : 65 gypsy moth pup.T ; 7 live gypsy 
moths ; 1 gypsy moth larva ; 1 dipterous pupa ; 2 dipterous 
pupa; in alcohol ; 25 microgaster cocoons. One female 
gypsy moth emerged July 30 ; no further developments. 
Material at laboratory. 

2. Received July 31, 1905, from Miss Marie Riihl, 5 
boxes, containing : 119 gypsy moth pupa? ; 7 Tachinid flies, 
dead ; 2 live Tachinid flies ; 4 dipterous pupte. The 2 live 
Tachinid flies which had already emerged at time of arrival 
were placed in a jar with gypsy moth larvreand with leaves, 
but died without laying. One Tachinid fly emerged from the 
dipterous pupii? on August 8 but died August 11 without 
having had an opportunity to mate. Material at laboratory. 

3. Received Aug. 5, 1905, from Miss Marie Ruhl, 16 
boxes, containing : 109 gypsy moth pupos ; 42 dipterous 
pupas ; 3 dipterous pupa? in alcohol. Two female gypsy 
moths emerged August 8, 2 August 9 and 3 August 10. 
One Tachinid fly emerged August 12, and was placed in a 
jar with a Tachinid fly from Germany. They w^ere not seen 
to mate, and on August 14 the Swiss fly died without laying. 

4. Received Aug. 7, 1905, from Miss Marie Riihl, 6 boxes, 
containing : 47 gypsy moth pupse ; 3 dipterous pui)a» ; 400 
brow^n-tail moth egg masses. One female gypsy moth 
emerged August 7 and 1 August 8. The brown-tail moth 
egg masses came in an ordinary cigar box. As all the eggs 
had hatched by the time the shipment arrived, the box and 
its contents were burned to prevent the escape of the cater- 
pillars. Material at laboratory. 

5. Received Oct. 24, 1905, from Miss Marie Riihl, 3 small 
boxes, containing : 55 Tachinid pupae ; 6 pinned Tachinids ; 
6 pinned Ichneumonids. 

Italy. 

1. Received July 15, 1905, from Dr. Gustavo Leonardi, 
Portici, 7 boxes, containing: 16 gypsy moth pup£e; 63 dip- 
terous pup;i? ; 137 dead Calosomas ; 1 live Calosoma. The 
single live Calosoma lived twenty-seven days, and devoured 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 123 

on an average each day 4 nearly mature gypsy moth larva}. 
Material at laboratory. 

2. Received July 26, 1905, from Dr. Gustavo Leonardi, 
24 boxes, containing: 727 gypsy moth pupa?; 221 gypsy 
moths; 394 dipterous pup?e ; 73 G holds flavipes : 18 dead 
Tachinids ; 3 live beetles; 6 dead beetles; 37 dead Calo- 
somas; 5 ApanteJes cocoons ; 2 dead Theronia; 3 Forfieulas. 
Thirteen specimens of Chalets favijyes emerged from the 
gypsy moth pu})c\3 within three days after the arrival of the 
shipment, and 9 others emerged from the dipterous pu})i3e. 
All the Chalcids were placed in a large jar, together with 
food and gypsy moth larvae. Although constantly w^atched, 
they were not seen to mate or hiy eggs. By the end of a 
week they were all dead, an^ were placed in the collection 
together with the rest of the miscellaneous material noted in 
the table. The "live beetles " and "dead beetles " of the 
table were not Calosomas. 

3. Received Aug. 1, 1905, from Dr. Gustavo Leonardi, 
7 boxes, containing: 46 gypsy moth pupaj ; 91 dipterous 
pupre ; 41 Calosomas. Material at laboratory. 

Aside from the 32 specimens of Chalcis jiavipes which 
emerged from the second shipment, there were no further 
developments. 

The Italian shipments were rich in the number of very 
large Tachinid pup?e which they contained. Of these great 
hopes are entertained, for the flies will probal)ly emerge 
next spring. 

While in Europe Dr. Howard discovered that the winter 
webs of the brown-tail moth were often extensively in- 
fested by certain minute parasites which destroyed the im- 
mature caterpillars. In this country as yet no parasites 
have been found attacking the caterpillars in their winter 
webs ; and, appreciating at once the importance of import- 
ing these beneficial insects, Dr. Howard arranged for the 
collection and shipment of a large number of the winter 
webs of the brown-tail moth from various points in Europe. 
As a rule these sendings have arrived in good order, and 
we are hopeful that they will yield numerous parasites next 
spring. Up to December 15 the following consignments 
have been received : — 



124 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Imported Broivn-tail Moth Webs. 

Received from Marie Ruhl, Zurich, November 22, 2 
boxes, containino- 588 M'cbs of the brown-tail moth. These 
webs were principally from oak trees. 

Received November 28 from the same party 10 boxes, 
containing 3,494 winter webs. 

Received from A. eT. Cook, Berlin, November 29, 192 
we])s. 

Received from Marie Riihl, December 5, 1 box, contain- 
ing 1,012 webs. 

Received December 5, from E. Schopfer, Dresden, 1 l)ox, 
containing 383 webs. 

Received from Marie Riihl, December 7, 7 boxes, con- 
taining 4,035 webs. 

Received from Marie Riihl, December 13, 5 boxes, con- 
taining 4,667 webs. 

All these webs are now in cold storage, and will be care- 
fully examined next spring ; and any beneficial parasites 
obtained from them will be released, in the hope that they 
may attack the brown-tail moth in the Saugus woodlands. 

The work of Dr. L. O. Howard in connection with import- 
ing parasites of the gypsy and brown-tail moths is described 
in detail in an article in the Yearbook of the United States 
Department of Agriculture for 1905. He has at my request 
prepared the following brief summary : — 

United States Department of Agriculture, 
Bureau of Entomology, Washington, D. C, Dec. 30, 1905. 

Mr. A. II. KiKKLAND, Superintendent for Suppressing the Gypsy and 
Brow7i-tail Moths, 6 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass. 

Sir : — I have the bouor to submit a brief report of my efforts 
during the year to import the foreign parasites of the gypsy and 
brown-tail moths into Massachusetts. 

Respectfully yours, 

L. O. Howard, 

Chief of Bureau. 

Immediately upon the passage of a bill making appropriations 
to the United States Department of Agriculture, which carried au 
appropriation of S2,500 for the i)urpose of studying and import- 



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190n.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 73. 125 

iug the foreign parasites of the gypsy and brown-tail moths, 1 be- 
gan a correspondence with Japanese and European entomologists, 
seeking for their co-operation in the effort. Soon after you were 
good enough to place me in charge of the foreign work under a 
State appropriation for the same purpose, and this responsibility 
was accepted with tiie permission of the Secretary of Agriculture. 

Japanese entomologists, and especially Mr. Kuwana of Tokio, 
are making an effort to send to this country living specimens of an 
important egg parasite of the gypsy moth which is said to exist in 
Japan. The same entomologists and the Rev. H. A. Loomis of 
Yokohama are endeavoring to send over in living condition and 
unparasitized a Braconid parasite of the genus Ajxinteles of the 
gypsy moth. One sending of Apajiteles was received at Boston 
during the summer, and this is the only shipment which has reached 
this country from Japan during the present year. 

On the 3d of June I sailed for Europe for the purpose of organ- 
izing a systematic search for parasites of these two insects, and to 
secure, if possible, continuous shipments throughout the breeding 
season and during the winter of parasitized specimens of both 
species. My personal acquaintance with the official entomologists 
of Europe and my long-continued and very friendly official rela- 
tions with these gentlemen have greatly facilitated my efforts iu 
this direction, and all have expressed a hearty desire to co-operate 
with the United Slates government and with the government of the 
State of Massachusetts in their work. Their personal endeavors 
have been at our service, and their expert advice has been of much 
assistance. In many cases they have been good enough to select 
and recommend agents, who have been paid for their services from 
the State appropriation. The personal services of the official ento- 
mologists, however, have been gratuitous ; and in some instances I 
have been able to repay them for their courtesy by sending abroad 
American parasites of injurious insects accidentally established 
in European countries. 

The officials who were interviewed and who have placed their 
services at the disposal of this country are as follows : Dr. Felipe 
Silvestri, entomologist of the Royal Agriculture Station at Portici, 
Italy, and his first assistant. Dr. Gustavo Leonardi ; Prof. Antonio 
Berlese, director of the Royal Station for Agricultural Entomology 
at Florence, and his principal assistants, Drs. Del Guercio and 
Ribaga ; Dr. Anton Handlirsch and Dr. Hans Rabel of the Royal 
Natural History Museum in Vienna ; Dr. Alexander Mocsary of 
the Natural History and Ethnological Museum iu Budapest ; Prof. 
Joseph Jablonowski of the Agricultural Experiment Station in 



126 GYPSY AND BROWX-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Budapest ; Dr. Heller of the Zoological aud Ethnological Museum 
in Dresden ; Dr. Arnold Jacobi of the Royal Forestry School in 
Tharandt ; aud Dr. Paul Marchal of the Agricultural Experiment 
Station, Paris. There were engaged as collectors Mr. Fritz 
Wagner of Vienna, Mr. Edouard Schopfer of Dresden, Miss Marie 
Eiihl of Zlirich and Prof. A. J. Cook of Berlin. In addition to 
these paid agents and to the otlicial entomologists a number of 
other entomologists have offered their services gratuitously, and 
among them especially must be mentioned M. Ren6 Oberthiir of 
Rennes, France, who has sent over a large quantity of supposedly 
parasitized nests of the brown-tail moth. 

I attended a meeting of the Entomological Society of France 
and made a statement of the work to the members, and all of them 
promised encouragement and assistance. To all agents, volunteer 
and paid, the same instructions have been given, namely : to send 
to your address in Boston as many full-grown larvae and pupse as 
possible of both the gypsy moth and the brown-tail moth, packed in 
small boxes with abundant supply of food, and forwarded by mail. 

The average percentage of parasitism in all European countries 
is very high, aud the results of the comparatively few sendings 
which were started from Europe in June and July indicate that it 
is a perfectly simple matter to secure the receipt of living parasites 
in Boston. At the time of my arrival in Europe and of my visit 
to the different entomologists it was already too late to secure 
larv£e and pupaj of the brown-tail moth. As I proceeded north 
from Naples I was everywhere met with the statement that brown- 
tail moths had already emerged. But with the gypsy moth the 
case was different. Professor Leonard! was able to secure several 
thousand full-grown larvae and pupae in Sardinia. Mr. Wagner 
aud I collected quite a large number near Vienna, Mr. Schopfer 
was able to collect a number near Dresden, and Miss Riihl was 
able to secure specimens from north Germany. I was unable to 
find any about Paris. From those gypsy moth larvae and pupae 
thus secured there have been bred six species of parasites since 
their arrival in this country ; of these, the only one which promises 
results next spring is Tachina larvariim, of which we have perhaps 
500 living pupiX". 

On the statement of Professor Jablonowski of Budapest, that 
the winter nests of the brown-tail moth contained minute parasites, 
I have secured the sending over of perhaps 80,000 nests of the 
brown-tail moth from different parts of Europe, and from these it 
is hoped that we may_ breed an abundant supply of parasites the 
coming spring. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 127 

My efforts to import Calosoma sycophanta and Calosoma inquis- 
itor during the season have failed. Professor Leonardi started 
200 specimens from Sardinia, but all were dead on arrival in 
Boston. This may possibly have been due to the roundabout 
journey, since they were shipped by mail to London, thence to 
New York and thence to Boston. Had they gone by direct 
steamer from Naples to Boston, and especially had they been 
placed, if not in the ice box, at least in a cool apartment of the 
steamer, better results would probably have been gained. Although 
the American Calosomas hibernate as adults, and although through 
our European agents probably 500 European entomologists have 
been searching for these species since the autumnal frosts, not a 
single specimen has been found. My earlier attempts to import 
these species into this country were all failures, but I have every 
hope that during the coming summer we may be able to succeed. 
Some three years ago Dr. Yugve Sjostedt of Stockholm carried a 
number of specimens of the American Calosoma scrutator from 
"Washington to Sweden with success, so that it surely must be 
possible for the European species to make the return journey. 

The whole of the European range of both species is now organ- 
ized with the exception of Russia, and continuous sendings of both 
species will be received at Boston for the next two years at least. 
It seems to me that there is every reason to expect success in the 
establishment of at least some of the European parasites. 

Fungous Disease of the Bkown-tail Moth. 

During the latter part of June, 1905, several observers 
reported that a fungous disease had killed a great many 
brown-tail moth caterpillars. This disease was first reported 
from Waketield, but was also found in about a dozen other 
towns where the caterpillars were plentiful. In many cases 
an entire tree trunk for several feet would be found covered 
with the bodies of the caterpillars, attached to the bark by 
the fungous filaments. This disease also worked to a re- 
markable degree in the masses of cocoons, from which in 
some cases but few living pupie could be obtained. 

As soon as the disease was reported, Dr. George E. Stone, 
Ijotanist, Massachusetts Agricultural College, was called to 
investigate and experiment with this disease, to determine 
if it could be made of any practical value in fighting the 
caterpillars. Unfortunately for this latter part of the work, 



128 GYPSY AND BROAYX-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

the season was so far advanced that but few experiments 
could be made. 

Dr. Stone's report, which also includes the results of cer- 
tain laboratory experiments by Mr. O. L. Clark, is printed 
in full herewith : — 

Report on Some Fungous Parasites of the Bkown-tail Moth. 

About the middle of June there was discovered at Wakefield by 
Field Agent J. W. Enwright some pnpte and caterpillars of the 
browu-tail niotli, covered with a whitish growth which appeared to 
cause many of them to become sickly and die. Casual observa- 
tions made by Mr. Enwright and others led them to surmise that 
the whitish growth causing this injury was of a fungous nature. 

At the request of Superintendent A. H. Kirkland, I visited 
"Wakefield June 27, 1905, and spent one day looking over the 
region about Wakefield in company with Mr. F, H. Mosher, labora- 
tory assistant, and made notes in regard to the nature and extent 
of this injury. At that time the region of fungous infection ap- 
peared in its worst form to centre about Wakefield, with more or 
less evidence of its occurring in Reading, Melrose and Maiden ; 
shortly afterwards, however, it was noted quite abundantly at Mai- 
den, Revere, Medford, etc. Mr. Enwright first noted the occur- 
rence of the whitish fungous growth and the sickly and dying 
condition of the pupae and caterpillars on June 21. At the time 
I made the examination of the region about Wakefield with Mr. 
Mosher the amount of infection was quite noticeable. From a large 
number of nests containing pupte, which Mr. Mosher and myself 
examined, I found from 70 to 75 per cent of the pupa^ infested 
with fungi, all of which were either sickly or dead. The number 
of infected caterpillars lying about on the trees and ground would 
equal 80 or 90 per cent. This condition of affairs seemed to hold 
good for much of the immediate region about Wakefield which we 
examined. An examination about Maiden July 1 seemed to show 
considerable infection of the pupae and caterpillars in that region, 
but it was apparently not so general or marked as in Wakefield. 

As to the cause for the unusual outbreak of this fungus on 
the browu-tail caterpillars and pupte, no doubt one, and perhaps 
the most important, factor, was the condition of the weather at the 
time of the first outbreak and following this period. At that time 
there occurred more or less rain and cloudy weather, which ex- 
tended over a period of some days. Such conditions are well 
known to be particularly favorable for the development of many 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 129 

fungi. A later period of prolonged rain and dampness occurred 
during the latter part of August and continued until September, 
which was also the cause of a rather severe outbreak of parasitic 
fungi atTecting plants ; and I am informed by Mr. Orton L. Clark, 
who was at work in the parasitic laboratory at Maiden, that 
numerous cases of the infested fall webs of the brown-tail moth 
could be observed at Maiden, Wakefield, etc., during September 
following this period of stormy weather and dampness. In this 
case the white fungus covered the caterpillars located upon the 
outside of the nests, apparently catching those which were more 
subject to the inclemency of the weather at that period, since an 
examination of the caterpillars in the nests at that time showed 
them to be uuaJfected. 

In the course of our examination of the affected region, made 
June 27, we obtained considerable material for microscopic study, 
and material was sent to us at later date. AVe found most of 
the external felt-like growths to be of a whitish color, which 
proved upon microscopic examination to consist of fungous fila- 
ments, and subsequently there occurred in most cases a reddish or 
salmon-colored tint to the fungus. This was more especially noted 
on the caterpillars which had been dead for a few days. Most of 
the diseased pupa} examined in the nests showed little or no fun- 
gous growth, but after they collapsed the characteristic whitish 
growth was evident. 

The result of our microscopic study of a number of dead cater- 
pillars showed that there were two species of fungi present, one of 
which will readily grow on agar (.1 per cent acid), and the other 
will not. We had no difficulty, however, in isolating one of these 
forms and obtaining pure cultures of the same. This proved to 
be the reddish or salmon-colored fungus noted above. It would 
appear to grow very rapidly on agar, and would frequently cover 
a petri dish in a few days. At first this fungus displayed a white 
color, and then gradually passed into a light salmon or deeper red- 
dish tint. The microscopic examination showed that it possessed 
similar branching habits and spore formation to our common green 
bread mold [Penicillium) , but in color it was entirely distinct 
from this. From iianging drop cultures we were enabled to study 
the fungus in detail and note its habits and the manner of forming 
the spores. This fungus ' proved to be a species of Penicilliuvi, 

' "We are indebted to Prof. "W. G. Farlow of Harvard University, whose criti- 
cal knowledge and extensive herbarium are unexcelled, for the final identifica- 
tion of this species. Professor Farlow conapared the fungus with an authentic 
specimen from Gosio, and found them to be identical. 



130 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

and is given by Saccardo as Penicillium brevicaule, Sacc.' Tlie 
fungus is probably a harmless one, and its occui'ience on the dead 
caterpillars and pupae was probably incidental and of secondary 
importance. 

Another species of fungus was always present on the diseased 
and dead pupae and caterpillars, which proved to be a form of the 
P^ntomophthoreae, which includes a class of fungi represented by 
about half a dozen genera, and largely confined to insects. We 
did not attempt to secure cultures of this, but were able to examine 
the same in connection with the dead pupae, etc. 

This fungus proved to be Eminisa aulico'^ Reichardt, as given 
by Saccardo,^ or Empiisa grylli in Thaxter's Monograph.^ This 
species is parasitic on certain insects, and occurs in Europe and 
the United States. Thaxter records numerous epidemics among 
grasshoppers resulting from this fungus, and it occurs also on 
moth larvae and caterpillars. 

In addition to the above fungi, we found in some of our material, 
taken from the body cavities of the brown-tail pup^e, colonies of 
bacteria which were quite general and uniform, and appeared of a 
pure type. These colonies were so uniform and appeared so con- 
stantly that they were isolated and cultured in the usual manner ; 
but no attempt was made to establish the identity of the organism 
with any described forms, since there was no opportunity for 
ascertaining whether it possessed any pathogenic value in this 
particular case. 

After isolating the bacterial cultures in an absolutely pure form, 
some experiments were undertaken in the parasitic laboratory in 
Maiden by Orton L. Clark, under Superintendent Kirkland's super- 
vision. It was, however, getting late in the season for experiments 
with the brown-tail pupae, since the moths were rapidly emerging. 
An outline of these experiments follows, together with the results 
obtained : — 

EXPEKIMENTS WITH FUNGOUS DISEASES. 

Experiment I. (a) Ten diseased pupa? were placed in a glass jar 
with 10 normal pupae. Result: 3 normal 
pupte became diseased, 
(i) One diseased pupa was put in a glass with 10 
noi-mal pupjB. Result: no change. 

' Sylloge Fungorum, Vol. IV., p. 84. 
- hoc. cit., Vol. VII., p. 282. 

^ Entomophthoreio of the United States, in Memoirs of Boston Society of 
Natural History, Vol. IV., pp. l-5it, 1886-93. 



1906.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 



131 



Experiment II. 



Experiment III. 



Experiment IV. 



Experiment V. 



Experiment VI. 



(a) Ten diseased caterpillars were placed in a jar 

with 10 normal pupae. Result: no change. 

(b) One diseased caterpillar was put in a jar with 

10 normal pupse. Result: 1 normal pupa be- 
came diseased. 

(c) Ten diseased caterpillars put in a jar with 10 

normal pupse. Result : 2 normal pupse be- 
came diseased. 
(cZ) Five diseased caterpillars put in a jar with 10 
normal pupte. Result : 1 normal pupa be- 
came diseased. 

(a) Ten diseased caterpillars were put in ajar with 

10 normal caterpillars. Result : 9 normal 
caterpillars became diseased. 

(b) One diseased caterpillar was put in a jar with 

10 normal caterpillars. Result : 8 normal 
caterpillars became diseased, 3 of which 
pupated. 

(c) Ten diseased caterpillars were put in ajar with 

10 normal caterpillars. Result : 3 catei'pil- 
lars became diseased. 

(d) Fiye diseased caterpillars were put in a jar with 

10 normal caterjji liars. Result : no change. 

(a) Ten diseased pupae were placed with 10 normal 

caterpillars. Result : 7 caterpillars became 
diseased. 

(b) Same as (a). 

diseased. 

(c) Same as (a). 
(fZ) Same as (a). 



Result : 5 caterpillars became 



Result: 6 diseased caterpillars. 
Result : 4 diseased caterpillai's. 
Fifteen diseased pupre were ground to a powder 
and mixed with a tablespoonf ul of water ; 
pear leaves were washed with this mixture, 
(a) Five normal caterpillars wei'e placed in a jar 
filled with treated leaves. Result: all be- 
came diseased. 
(6) Same as (a). Result: 4 caterpillars became 

diseased, 
(c) Five normal gypsy caterpillars were treated as 

in (a). Result: 1 became diseased. 
{(l) Same as (c). Result: 1 became diseased. 

Same as Experiment V, only elm leaves were 
used instead of pear. 

(a) Five normal caterpillars were put in a jar with 

treated leaves. Result: 2 became diseased. 

(b) Same as («). Result: 2 became diseased. 

(c) Same as (a), only gypsy caterpillars were used. 

Result: 1 became diseased, 
(rf) Same as (c). Result: no change. 



132 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Experiment VIL Elm leaves were smeared with a bacterial cul- 

ture prepared by Dr. George E. Stone from 
diseased brown-tail moth caterpillars. 
(«) Twenty-five normal gypsy caterpillars were 
put in ajar with treated leaves. Result: 2 
caterpillars died. 

(b) Same as (a). Result: 5 caterpillars died, 

(c) Same as (a). Result: 3 caterpillars died. 

(d) Same as (a). Result: 4 caterpillars died. 
Experiment VIII. Elm leaves were treated with a mixture of a 

pure culture of the fungous parasite prepared 
by Dr. Stone, 
(a) Twenty - five gypsy moth caterpillars were 
placed in a glass jar with treated leaves. 
Result : 1 caterpillar died. 

Elm leaves treated with pure cultures of Penicillium brevicaule 
and fed gypsy caterpillars produced scarcely any effect. On 
account of the lateness of the season, it was impossible to carry on 
experiments from pure cultures with the brown-tail pupae, and the 
results of the experiments previously noted should not be con- 
sidered as conclusive. 

From what is known regarding this group of insect fungi (En- 
tomophthoreae), we would expect that, when diseased pupae and 
diseased caterpillars are brought in contact with healthy ones, infec- 
tion would result ; and that, when leaves are treated with decoctions 
of diseased caterpillars and pupje, a certain amount of infection 
would be likely to take place, since the decoctions would contain 
the spores of the disease-producing fungus, and if suitable condi- 
tions for germination and development were at hand infection 
would follow. 

The condition of the brown-tail pupae found in infested nests 
also indicates that the disease is infectious, and the association of 
diseased forms with healthy ones in a breeding case would un- 
doubtedly produce the same results, providing the conditions were 
suitable. On the other hand, it might not be improbable that, 
in selecting what might appear to be healthy pupae and caterpillars 
for these experiments, some of them were in an incipient stage of 
disease, which would modify the results. In most instances, how- 
ever, where death occurred to the pupae or caterpillars in these 
experiments with brown-tail moths, the characteristic white fungus 
subsequently appeared. The laboratory, however, being dry and 
the breeding cases not being closed at the top would give rise to 
conditions which would have a tendency to check the development 
of fungi. Undoubtedly the prevalence of rain and damp weather 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 133 

during certain seasons is capable of exerting quite a I'epressive in- 
fluence on the brown- tail moth caterpillars and pupae, and thus 
renders them more susceptible to fungi. 

Dr. A. Y. Grevillius ' mentions several caterpillars of the brown- 
tail moth being killed by Empusa, during very warm and rainy 
weather. In one place he states: "The caterpillars were deci- 
mated in an important degree again about the middle of June, 
especially by an epidemic outbreak of Empusa aulicce, Reich., and 
there were correspondingly few of them to pupate. Their feeding 
in the following autumn was not very noticeable in this part of the 
country." And further: "In the feeding time of 1902, on the 
contrary, notwithstanding the special destruction of the caterpil- 
lars by Empusa aulica', Reich., a tolerably large number of moths 
emerged from the cocoons, and these laid their egg clusters not 
only on orchard trees and oaks, but also on a few other trees and 
shrubs." Occasionally epidemics of more or less severity occur in 
this State from this fungus in connection with grasshoppers and 
moth larvae. 

Possible Help from Parasites. 

Insect parasitism is one of the most interesting subjects 
in the Nvhole iield of entomology. Nearly every insect has 
enemies of its own kind, remote relatives, they may be 
called, which prey u})on it and attempt to destroy it. Their 
work is shown in the relative abundance or scarcity of their 
unwilling hosts. The farmer notices that certain years are 
" caterpillar years," and that others are not so characterized. 
The abundance or scarcity of any caterpillar pest depends in 
large measure upon the presence or absence of the parasites 
which attack that particular insect. Of course the w^ork of 
birds is an important factor, but the influence of parasites in 
the long run controls the situation. 

Take the case of the army worm, — a pest of grass and 
grain fields at comparatively long intervals. This insect is 
notably attacked by a certain fly which lays its eggs on the 
" worms," the eggs hatching into grubs which kill their hosts. 
When the " worms" are abundant, there is offered a wealth 
of food for the parasite. They multiply prodigiously, de- 
stroy their hosts, and in a season the army worm outbreak 
becomes a thing of the past. The following year there is a 

' Zur Kenntniss der Biologie des Goldafters. Kempen, 1905. 



134 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

multitude of parasites, and but little food for them. As a 
result, the flies die off; and the few remaining army worms 
increase slowly in swamps and along the banks of streams, 
until after the lapse of years their numbers are sufficient to lay 
the foundation for another army worm outbreak, only to be 
followed by the development of a nmltitude of parasites to 
check it. This shifting relationship is an illustration of the 
"balance of nature," so called, — the tilting adjustment of 
an insect to its enemies. 

The canker worm and the tent caterpillar give equally 
good illustrations, except that the period of their ravages 
usually extends over two or three years before it is checked. 
This is practically what takes place with the gypsy moth and 
brown-tail moth in Europe. As stated elsewhere, their 
periodic outbreaks run for a few years and then subside, to 
reappear after the lapse of several years. The birds figure 
to a considerable extent in checking these insects, and no 
doubt several fungous or bacterial diseases are also of ser- 
vice, but the principal check seems to be exerted by para- 
sites and predaceous insects. 

But the story does not end with simple or primary insect 
parasitism. Several of these parasites, particularly the 
larger ones, when they are safely established in the vitals 
of their hosts, are attacked in turn by certain minute forms 
of insect life, — secondary parasites. Then we have an 
exhibition of the complicated phenomenon of secondary 
parasitism, which is almost as much to he dreaded as the 
original attack of the caterpillar ; for if the true (primary) 
parasites are destroyed, the principal check on the cater- 
pillar's development is removed. To difierentiate between 
and sort out the beneficial primary from the highly injurious 
secondary parasites calls for the highest skill of the well- 
trained specialist. I have thought it best to go into this 
matter somewhat at length, so that there may be on record 
one of the most important difficulties and dangers of the 
promiscuous importation of parasites of the gypsy moth. 

The problem, then, of successfully importing gypsy and 
brown-tail moth parasites depends on several factors, among 
which the following are the most important : — 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 135 

1. To collect in Europe a large quantity of parasites and 
parasitized nests, caterpillars and pupsr of the moths. 

2. To pack safely and ship them so that they may arrive 
with the least possible delay. 

3. To care for the material in such a way that as many 
parasites as possible may be obtained. 

4. Most important of all, to detect and kill every single 
form of injurious secondary parasites. 

5. To propagate the true parasites under the most favor- 
able conditions. 

6. To finally liberate large numbers of these parasites in 
close proximity to the caterpillars M'hich are their natural 
hosts. 

Thus it will be seen that this important work of importing 
parasites involves a considerable amount of time, as well as 
painstaking care and the highest technical skill. It cannot 
be done in a year, nor probably even in two years. It cannot 
be done by amateurs ; it must be done by specialists, work- 
ing carefully, working slowly, it may be, and taking every 
possible precaution to prevent failure. No better illustra- 
tion of how dangerous a thing " a little knowledge" may be 
can be found than in the flippancy and positiveness with 
which certain newspaper writers and men well trained in 
other lines but with hardly a smattering of entomological 
knowledge discuss this matter and advise how best to pro- 
ceed. Laymen who would not attempt to advise how to 
treat a case of pneumonia or interpret a doubtful point of 
law, are prompt to dictate the course to be followed in one 
of the most technical and diflicult problems in the whole 
field of entomology. 

The practical question for the taxpayer is whether the 
$10,000 appropriation per year for three years now avail- 
able will yield tangible results, or not. To answer this 
would involve omniscience. The superintendent is hope- 
ful, even sanguine, that in the end the importation of the 
natural enemies of the moth from abroad may solve suc- 
cessfully the great problem in which we are now en- 
eaged. But nature cannot be reduced to a mathematical 
basis. She is full of surprises. Promising lines of re- 



136 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

search may be barren of results, while apparent failures 
may unlock the door to success. All the writer can say is, 
that the foreign end of the work is in the hands of the man 
best qualified of any one in this or any other country to 
carry it to success, and that on our part no eifort will be 
spared to obtain the results we seek. We may succeed, and 
we may fail. All should regard it as an experiment, pure 
and simple. Should it be completely successful, five years 
at least will be required before noticeable results will be 
obtained. In the mean time, no one should sit idly by and 
allow his trees to be defoliated and perhaps killed. We 
must continue to apply the methods that we know will bring 
results ; we must keep up the fight along the lines we know 
to be effective. 

Educational Work. 
Since the success of the work against the moths depends 
largely upon the intelligent co-operation of property owners, 
it has been the policy of the central office to disseminate in 
every possible way information concerning the habits of the 
insects, and the most efficient means for coml)ating them. 
To this end, two leaflets describing the moths were reprinted 
by permission of the Board of Agriculture, and were freely 
distributed to all inquirers earlj^ in the season. By the time 
these were exhausted the well-illustrated Bulletin No. I had 
come from the press. The bulletin gives in plain language 
concise descriptions of both moths, their habits, the remedies 
best suited to destroy them, and a full exposition of the law 
under which we are working. It has had a wide distribution 
among city and town oflScials, women's clubs, village im- 
provement societies and interested citizens throughout the 
State. A poster describing necessary fall and winter work, 
and giving colored cuts of gypsy and brown-tail moth nests, 
has been generally distributed throughout the infested dis- 
trict. Besides being placed in })ost-offices, stores, etc., 
these posters, through the courtesy of the large railroad 
systems entering Boston, have also been placed in numerous 
railroad stations. In addition to this, the superintendent 
and his agents, as time has permitted, have given numerous 
illustrated lectures throuixhout the moth district before clubs 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT -No. 73. 137 

and otlier interested organizations. Prof. W. L. Underwood 
of Belmont has also given a number of most helpful lectures 
on the moths. 

No single feature of this educational work has been more 
helpful or more gratifying than the cordial assistance re- 
ceived from the press of the State. Our leading newspapers 
have shown a notable willingness to disseminate timely in- 
formation concerning the moth pests, and have co-operated 
with the superintendent in every way in their power, and it 
is but a i)leasure to acknowledge at this time the valuable 
service which they have rendered. Particularly worth}- 
of mention is the part taken in this work l)y the Mcdford 
'* Mercury." This paper, at a large expense and continuing 
through several issues, published a great deal of valuable 
information concerning the gypsy moth, and, what was more 
effective, a large number of excellent half-tone views, show- 
ing damage by the insect in Medford and vicinity. These 
special numbers were widely circulated throughout the State, 
and called attention to the damage l)y the moth and the 
necessity for suppressing the insect in a remarkably effective 
manner. In December these articles were issued in pam- 
phlet form and widely distributed. This work was made 
possible through the co-operation of Gen. S. C. Lawrence, 
who in this way has added to the already long list of his 
well-known philanthropies. 

Since it has been found difficult as well as expensive to 
send inspectors to work with the local superintendent in each 
of the outlying towns for a sufficient time to give full instruc- 
tions in methods of locating and combating the moths, it 
was finally decided, in the interests of economy as well as a 
means of education, to hold a field day meeting at Medford 
December 14. Nearly all the local superintendents were in 
attendance on this occasion. An opportunity was given all 
to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the appearance of 
the effg: clusters, winter nests and other evidences of the 
moths, and to see the actual methods of work as applied on 
a large scale on the estate of Gen. S. C. Lawrence. Munic- 
ipal work on the public streets under the direction of Local 
Superintendent J. D. Dwyer, where men were engaged in 



138 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

the difficult operation of clearing tall elms of both insects, 
was also inspected ; while later a lecture, with lantern slides 
showing all stages of the insects, was given l)y the superin- 
tendent. This meeting has proved of great educational value, 
and has saved much travel and correspondence on the part 
of the central organization. 

Danger to Parks. 

In no section of the United States, perhaps, has so much 
been done for the preservation of woodland areas for the 
benefit of future generations as in Massachusetts. Large 
amounts of public and private funds have been invested for 
the purpose of providing places where the rapidly increasing 
population can enjoy fresh air and the beauties of lake and 
wood. Boston early took the initiative in this effort, and 
its beautiful park system has served as a model for many 
cities tliroughout the country. An excellent illustration of 
park building on a smaller scale is found in Pine Banks 
Park, on the borders of Maiden and Melrose, where the 
late Hon. E. C. Converse, noted for many philanthropies, 
devoted to this purpose many acres of land covered with a 
magnificent growth of white pine mingled with deciduous 
trees. He expended large sums of money in developing the 
tract, cutting out roadways and beautifying the surroundings 
with rare shrubs and beds of flow^ers, all combined with the 
art of the experienced forester, to obtain beauty and com- 
fort without detracting from the delights of the wild wood- 
land. 

Pl^'mouth has followed, with its still larger area at Morton 
Park, where the tangled woodland is traversed with well- 
kept drives and footpaths skirting the shores of Billington 
Sea and its attendant ponds, Quincy, next door to popu- 
lous Boston, where a rapidly increasing population is cov- 
ering its area with buildings, has provided Merry Mount 
Park, which is being developed as rapidly as the resources 
of a young city wdll admit. To the northeast the great Lynn 
AVoods Reservation offers solitude and recreation to thou- 
sands each summer. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 139 

While these are notable instances, nearly every city and 
large town in the State has labored to the same end to a 
greater or less degree. Above all, born of the brain of the 
late Charles Eliot, is the magnificent scheme of a metropoli- 
tan park, with its thousands of acres of wild woodland, 
intersected with drives and bridle paths and connected by 
improved parkways, where one may drive for miles with 
constantly changing vistas of tangled hill and dell. Thus, 
by the wisdom of our legislators with the hearty co-opera- 
tion of the citizens, has the city of Boston been surrounded 
by a chain of parks, where its people can recuperate their 
energies, breathe the air and observe the beauties of nature 
at first hand. 

A park system without trees is an anomaly. There is no 
pleasure in visiting a park denuded of its vegetation, show- 
ing in summer, instead of refreshing shade, only naked 
trees, bare fields and rocks exposed to the scorching sun. 

A portion of our great park area has already been 
scourged by the gypsy and brown-tail moths ; Lynn Woods 
has had over 100 acres killed by this means, while a larger 
area has been defoliated. Many of the stately trees of Pine 
Banks Park have been killed, and numbers of those which 
remain are in a dying condition. A hundred years will be 
required to bring back the former beauty of the place. The 
vast area of the Middlesex Fells is already thoroughly in- 
fested and the southern half has been seriously injured, in 
spite of the vigorous efi'orts of those in charge of the park 
to suppress the pest. 

The Blue Hills Reservation has ))een inspected, and some 50 
places discovered where the gypsy moth has obtained a foot- 
hold, and a very few nests of the brown-tail moth have been 
found and removed. The findings here, in most cases, have 
been of single nests, generally remote from each other, but 
in a few instances more serious infestations have been found. 
These oflfer no special diflSculties if promptly and thoroughly 
treated. This infestation in the largest park south of Bos- 
ton, and one of particular beaut v, while not severe at 
present, is potentially of gravest significance. This reser- 



140 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

vation, with its dense growth of oak and other trees, its 
rocks and ledges, offers the same difficulties to a campaign 
against the gypsy moth as are found in the Fells, and it is 
of utmost importance that the pest be wiped out here without 
delay. If this is not done, the example presented by the 
area north of Boston shows what the result will be in the 
future. The insects will gain yearly in increasing ratio, 
until only a long and most costly campaign can bring them 
under control, while in the mean time many valuable trees 
will be killed. 

Conifers, stripped of their leaves, will succumb in one 
year ; deciduous trees, with greater recuperative powers, 
will withstand the ravages for a few years longer ; but 
where the moths are neglected, the ultimate result will be 
that instead of green trees our wooded parks will be dotted 
with dead and dying stubs, the expense of removing which 
may be far beyond the amount now necessary to clean out 
the insects, or at least to reduce the infestation to a degree 
where a slight annual expenditure will hold them in check. 
If our parks are to be preserved, the moths must be fought 
persistently wherever they occur. 

The Woodland Problem. 
The examinations made by our inspectors have developed 
the fact that in nearly all the woodlands in the central in- 
fested district the gypsy moth occurs in alarming numl)ers, 
while the brown-tail moth is also very much in evidence. 
This severe woodland infestation constitutes the greatest 
menace to the successful control of the gypsy moth. So 
long as the woodlands remain severely infested, it is im- 
possible to keep streets and residential sections free from 
the pest. These woodland colonies, traversed by roads, 
boulevards and cart paths, yield in the caterpillar season a 
multitude of swarming insects, which travel outward in all 
directions, stripping the foliage as thej" go. What is more 
important they drop in large numbers upon passing vehicles, 
and are thus transported over wide areas, although the effect 
of the scattering is most noticeable within a few miles of the 
colonies. Thus the insects are able to reinfest sections from 




Pines and other trees defoliated by gypsy moth caterpillars 

on property of Walter C. Wright. 

Medford, Mass., June, 1905 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 73. 141 

which they have been previously cleared. It is practically 
impossible, for example, to keep the residential sections of 
Mcdford or Saugus nieasural)ly clear of the gypsy moth while 
the large woodland colonies flourish but a short distance away. 

The funds available under the act, both from municipalities 
and from the State, are not sufficient to carry on any general 
campaign against the moth in woodlands. Believing it his 
duty to present to the Legislature all known facts bearing on 
the problem of controlling the gypsy moth, the superintend- 
ent has had a fiiirl}^ careful examination made of the wood- 
land colonies, and gives below a statement of their area, as 
prepared by the assistant superintendent, Mr. D. M. Rogers, 
who was in charge of this investigation. 

In many cases he could not obtain an exact statement of 
the acreage involved, but so far as possible the figures were 
obtained from the engineers or assessors of the several 
cities and towns. Tracts designated as "dangerously 
infested " are those that may be considered in immediate 
need of attention to prevent stripping or serious injury by 
the caterpillars next season. With these tracts there is also 
the additional danger which will result from the insects 
spreading into sections not yet badly infested, or, in some 
cases, swarming on street trees a short distance away. 
Tracts designated as "slightly infested" are those where 
the moth has already secured a foothold, but not in sufficient 
numbers to cause any notable defoliation. Unless the in- 
sects are suppressed in these tracts, they will soon become 
dangerously infested. 

At Watertown practically all the woodland, some 50 acres, is 
dangerously infested. In Waltham 50 acres are seriously infested 
out of about 3,000 acres, while it is probable that other small 
colonies may exist there. Belmont has about 450 acres of wood- 
land, all dangerously infested; while at Lexington 1,000 acres 
may be considered seriously infested, with an equal amount in 
addition slightly infested. The dangerously infested woodlands 
at Arlington include about 500 acres and at Winchester 1,000 
acres. In the latter town there are also about 400 acres some- 
what infested. Of the 2,000 acres of woodland at Woburn, 
approximately one-half in the southern part of the city is infested 



142 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

by the moths in dangerous numbers, while the remainder has 
numerous scattering colonies. Stoneham has upward of 350 acres 
seriously infested in the southern part of the town, while 375 acres 
lying to the north are slightly infested. All the woodland in Med- 
ford in private hands, some 700 acres, is in a dangerous condition ; 
and the same holds true at Maiden, the area in the latter case being 
about 300 acres. Everett has 20 acres dangerously infested near 
and in the Woodlawn Cemetery ; while in Revere there are about 
75 acres of wood and brush land dangerously infested. Of the 
1,200 acres in Melrose, all, with the exception of about 100 acres 
in the northern part of the city, should be considered dangerously 
infested. The moth occurs in smaller numbers in the remainder 
of the woodland area. The dangerously infested tract of wood- 
land at Wakefield includes about 100 acres between Oak and 
Main streets, running easterly to the Saugus line. Some 400 
acres are scatteringly infested. Saugus contains about 2,500 
acres of woodland, all dangerously infested ; and the same condi- 
tion obtains in some 900 acres in the southern part of Lynnfield. 
In addition, there are about 1,000 acres in this town scatteringly 
infested. Some 4,700 acres of wood, sprout and brush land at 
Peabody contain scattering gypsy moth colonies, but none that 
are known to be in a dangerous condition at present. Of the 
woodland at Lynn, about 2,000 acres are held by the park and 
water boards, with 700 acres under private ownership. No part 
of this area is free from infestation ; in fact, it all may well be put 
in the dangerous class. At Swampscott 250 acres are badly in- 
fested on the western side of the town, and about as much more 
on the eastern side is slightly infested. Marblehead has about 
100 acres mildly infested; Salem, approximately 800 acres of 
wood and brush land, including the Great Pastures, severely in- 
fested, with about 100 acres more where the moth occurs in 
smaller numbers. At Beverly there are about 3,000 acres of 
woodland, much of which is old growth and contains many fine 
trees. This entire woodland area is scatteringly infested, the 
sections about Wenham Lake at North Beverly needing attention 
in the near future to keep the moth from developing in dangerous 
numbers. 

Presented in tabular form, the areas by towns are given here- 
with : — 



1906.] 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 



143 





Town or 


CiTT. 










Dangerously 
Infested (Acres) 


SliBhtly 
Infested (Acres). 


Arlington, 

Belmont, 

Beverly, 

Everett, . 

Lexington, 

Lynn, . 

Lynn field. 

Maiden, . 

Marblehead, 

Medford, 

Melrose, 

Peabody, 

Revere, . 

Salem, . 

Saugus, . 

Stoneham, 

Swampscott, 

Wakefield, 

Waltham, 

Watertown, 

Winchester, 

Woburn, 
















500 
450 

20 

1,000 

2,700 

900 

300 

700 
1,100 

75 

800 

2,500 

350 

250 

100 

50 

50 

1,000 

1,000 


3,000 

1,000 

1,000 

100 

100 
4,700 

100 

375 

250 

400 

2,950 

400 
1,000 




13,845 


15,375 
13,845 


Total, 
















29,220 



How THE Gypsy Moth is spread. 
The spread of the gypsy moth in eastern Massachusetts 
and across the State line into southern New Hampshire has 
resulted chiefly from human agencies. The female gypsy 
moth does not fly, and the natural spread of the insect is 
therefore slow. The principal means of distribution by 
human agency is the transportation of caterpilhirs of the 
moth upon vehicles. This occurs mainly in the spring and 
early summer before the caterpillars have grown too large 
to spin down on their threads from the trees. As in an 
apple orchard where canker worms, when numerous, drop 
down on tine threads upon the head and shoulders of the 
passer beneath, so along a street overhung with the arching 
branches of shade trees which are l)adly or only considerably 
infested the small gypsy moth caterpillars spin down. 
"Whether a vehicle stands or passes beneath badly infested 



144 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

trees, the chances are many that more or less of caterpillars 
will drop upon or be struck by it, and so be carried away 
from their original home. In a locality badly infested with 
the gypsy moth such a result is inevitable. 

In 1889, the year of the great gypsy moth outbreak in 
Medford, the first general distribution of the insect took 
place from this point of original infestation. The state- 
ments of citizens vividly portray the swarming numbers of 
caterpillars then : — 

The place simply teemed with them, aud I used to fairly dread 
going down the street to the railroad station. It was like running 
a gauntlet. I used to turu up my coat collar and run down the 
middle of the street. One morning in particular I recall that I 
was completely covered with caterpillars, inside my coat as well 
as out. 

When caterpillars swarmed and spun down like this, their 
transportation on carriages and wagons to points outside 
Medford was at its maximum. 

The establishment of a colony of gypsy moths in outside 
territory depended largely upon the regular trips of vehicles 
to or from Medford. Regular traffic (z.e., constant or re- 
curring), daily or at stated intervals, such as teaming of 
certain sorts, trips of milkmen, market gardeners, butchers, 
bakers and pedlers, and of junk and swill carts making 
their rounds, between Medford and some point or points 
outside that city, finally resulted in the carriage of cater- 
pillars to more or less of the localities where these vehicles 
stopped. While on a single trip enough caterpillars may 
be carried outside to a stopping place of a wagon or to the 
end of its route to bring about the establishment of a new 
moth colony, this is effected more surely by successive 
transportations of one or more individuals of the species. 
Even if on some occasions no caterpillars are carried out, 
the continually recurring trips back and forth of the vehicle 
make it only a question of time when enough will be taken 
to the outside point to establish there a new colony. 

Pleasure driving in and out or through Medford, much of 
it, like traffic on wheels, constant and fre(iuent between the 



1901).] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. n. 145 

same points, also served to a less extent, because there was 
less of it than of the other, to establish the gypsy moths in 
new outside places. 

A less regular distribution of the moth has resulted from 
the carriage or shipment outside the infested territory of 
objects upon which the eggs of the insect have been laid, 
such as cord wood, l)oxes, barrels, etc. As a gypsy moth 
egg cluster contains on the average some 500 eggs, a single 
transportation of an infested object, even if there were 
never another shipment, would be the easy means of the in- 
festation of a new locality. While a certain per cent of the 
spread of the gypsy moth has been due to its transporta- 
tion in the esfg form, it is now known that far the greater 
part has taken place when the insect was in the active cater- 
pillar stage. 

In addition to the spinning down of young caterpillars 
from trees in residential districts, there are other ways by 
which vehicles become infested. When vegetation is rapidly 
being destroyed by caterpillars, as is the case when they are 
in great or overcrowding numbers in a place, they migrate 
in search of food. Vehicles which ha[)pen to stand in or 
near a spot where such conditions obtain (as a badly infested 
tract of roadside bushes or piece of woodland) soon become 
infested with caterpillars of all sizes, which are rapidly seek- 
ing "fresh fields and pastures new." No longer a period 
than five minutes may be required for a vehicle to become 
infested with scores of caterpillars. Even when the moths 
are not so thick as this, as in an orchard or yard, large cater- 
pillars frequently crawl for shelter or for the purpose of 
pu})ating on the under sides of the bodies of wagons which 
stand beneath or near infested trees. 

The great variety of ways by which distribution may be 
brought about is well illustrated by two cases out of many 
recorded in the summer of 1905. Following the celebration 
in June of the two hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary of 
the settlement of Medford, the bunting and flags which were 
used freely for decorative purposes all over the city were 
shipped elsewhere. Some of this material went out of the 
State. Following his usual practice of cleaning his bunting. 



146 GYPSY AND BKOWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

one decorator found on it some caterpillars. Here we have 
a possibility of transportation of the moths. While these 
caterpillars would have died before the bunting was used 
again, had the date of the celel)ration been a month later 
there would have been pui)a3 on the bunting as well as cater- 
pillars; and if later still, egg clusters. The duration of the 
pupal stage is from eight to sixteen days, which might cover 
the time elapsing between the use of the bunting in an in- 
fested place and its use again in another. In the latter case, 
if pupae arrived in the bunting uninjured, moths in due time 
would have emerged, egg clusters would have been laid and 
a new colony started. 

On July 11 a State inspector saw a teamster unloading 
household goods in Andover, Learnino- that the furniture 
wagon had come from Medford, he examined the coverings 
of the load, and found concealed in the folds a dozen gypsy 
moth cater[)illars. The date marked the height of the larval 
season, and these caterpillars were full grown. Here we 
have a case of transportation of large gypsy moth caterpillars. 
These full-grown caterpillars had crawled upon the wagon 
while it was stationary or else upon the goods before they 
were loaded. Here we have the complete evidence in a case 
of distribution from beginning to end. 

The first great distribution of the gypsy moth practically 
ceased soon after 1889 because the exterminative work on 
the part of the State had so greatly diminished the numbers 
of the caterpillars along streets and highways. But in 1900, 
when the State work was abolished, the insect was allowed 
to increase again without hindrance, and a second great dis- 
tribution into new outside territory resulted. In the old 
infested territory of 359 square miles the moths became 
after two years more or less plentiful, and by the third year 
their ravages were apparent in many places. AVorse results 
were to follow. The rai)id and unchecked multiplication 
of the moths not only caused their old colonies, many of 
which had been entirely cleared by the work of the State 
Board of Agriculture, to become reinfested, but also brought 
about in some of them such a swarming of caterpillars as 
had not been seen since 1889 in Medford. But now the 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 147 

dangerous conditions of 1«8U not only obtained iii^ain in 
parts of Medford, but in addition in scores of other localities 
in Maiden, Melrose, Saugus, Arlington, Stoneliam, Belmont, 
Winchester, Woburn and Cambridge. Beginning in 1903 
and continuing with increasing force through 1904 and into 
the sunnner of 1905, the unchecked distribution of the gypsy 
moths from these centres into new sections went on ; so that 
when the api)roximate limits of the territory occupied by 
them since 1900 had Ijeen determined by the State field work 
of the summer and fall of 1905, it was found that their habitat 
in eastern ISIassachusetts had increased in area over six-fold. 
It was also found that the moths had entered New Hampshire 
from Essex County, Massachusetts, and had obtained a foot- 
hold at least as far north as Portsmouth, — a notable centre 
of travel during the Peace Conference the past summer. 
History had repeated itself. As in 1891 it was learned that 
the moths had become widely distributed in the years 1888, 
1889 and 1890, so in 1905 it l)ecame plain that the second 
great unchecked distribution had gone on during 1903, 1904 
and 1905. In the extensive, newly infested area discovered 
by our inspectors it is undoubted that there was little infesta- 
tion prior to 1900 (with the exception of the sporadic colony 
in Georgetown), which indicates that the dift'usive energy 
developed in the old infested district after the abandonment 
of work there had been suflScient to infest, chiefly in three 
years' time, a wide area of new outlying territory. 

In accounting for this alarming spread of the gypsy moth 
in comparatively so short a time, a new factor in the prob- 
lem of distribution, in addition to the increase in the number 
of badly infested centres of difiusion, has to be considered — 
namely, the automobile. The horseless carriage nmst be 
held specially accountable for the presence of the gypsy 
moth to-day in so many remote or out-of-the-way localities 
in the territory infested within the last five years. In the 
second great distribution of the gypsy moth in 1903-05, 
the regular and constant trafiic over the road, together with 
pleasure driving, continued as l)efore the chief factor. But 
this, being so largely of a business nature, did not extend 
far out from the l)adly infested centres in the old moth terri- 



148 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

tory. And while it is true :ilso that the bulk of autoniobil- 
ing — as was the case with pleasure driving in 1889 and is 
to-day — is confined within a moderate radius from a centre 
of l)opulation, it is not true that the percentage of the longer 
trips is the same with both sorts of travel. The total of 
long drives in the case of the "auto" is greater in proportion 
to the whole than it is or ever was in the case of a carriage 
drawn by a horse. In other words, in proportion as horse- 
less carriages have supplanted vehicles of the other sort, 
the percentage of long-distance journeys in the sum total 
of riding for pleasure is immeasurably greater than in the 
past. 

The reason is not far to seek. The automobile, by reason 
of its speed and its machine-made method of progression 
which renders riders independent of all consideration of 
horseflesh, tempts to both long and erratic runs, and so has 
introduced a very irregular method of distribution. The 
use of a machine w^iich possesses speed and lacks sensil)ility 
conduces to the invasion of sections necessarily unvisited by 
a vehicle drawn l)y a horse from a distant centre of popula- 
tion. Furthermore, the motor carriage incites to the explo- 
ration of new country, for its speed so broadens its scope 
of operation that no comparison of steam or gasoline with 
horseflesh is possible. And so the roads of eastern Massa- 
chusetts have been ridden over for pleasure more thoroughly 
than ever l)efore, especially those out of the beaten track for 
carriages, and therefore comparatively little travelled before 
the advent of the automobile. 

The speedy motor carriage making a long run from an 
infested starting place or i)assing through a badly infested 
locality might not necessarily go over the identical route 
again or reach the same objective point ; l)ut on its only 
run to this outside point it might carry enough caterpillars 
to establish there or en route a new colony of gypsy moths. 
By this means only is to ])c explained most of the moth colo- 
nies found remote from the central infested district in the 
area which has become infested since 1900. There is no 
question that in the " swarming year," 1889, the same thing- 
happened often, enough caterpillars being carried out on a 



1906.] PUBLIC D0CUMP:NT — No. 78. 149 

single trii) of a vehicle from Medford to infest a new locality. 
But in 1889 the automobile was not in use nor for many 
years after ; and so in ten years' time no far-away colonies 
of the gypsy moth, excepting the one in 1899 at Georgetown, 
were ever found as the result of the early outbreaks of the 
moth. 

The increased percentage of long-distance riding for 
pleasure, due to the introduction of automobiles, makes it 
possible to account for the more frequent establishment of 
sporadic colonies of the gypsy moth than in the past, and 
for the scattering of the moths to a distance, as in southern 
New Hanijishirc and particularly in the country south of 
Boston. The great city lying to the north of Norfolk and 
Plymouth counties in a sense served for years as a barrier 
against invasion of moths from Medford and the other in- 
fested centres. It long escaped serious infestation itself, 
and its presence discouraged pleasure driving through it 
from the moth district to the untouched country to the south- 
ward. Neither Medford nor Maiden in the late eighties 
took milk from Plymouth County farmers or supplied them 
with swill. Regular traffic over the road from near-by 
points naturally ended in the great city. In later j^ears the 
few serious infestations which occurred in Boston itself, such 
as the Dorchester outbreak in 1895, contributed to some 
extent to cause the infestation of near-by territory by the 
usual means of hucksters', milk-dealers' and marketmen's 
wagons and of regular and constant pleasure driving. In 
illustration may be cited the contiguous city of Quincy, 
which has now become a secondary centre of infestation. 
Through teaming from the infested country north of Boston 
also has always slightly helped to carry the insect to the 
towns to the south of the city. But the automobile, which 
annihilates distance, must be held to be chiefly accountable 
in bringing about in recent years the infestation of the ex- 
tensive country to the south of Boston over which the moths 
are now known to be scattered. The erratic as much as 
the long runs of the frequent automobile can alone explain 
the presence of the moths in few and scattered numbers, not 
only along main routes of travel, but in out-of-the-way 



150 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

places as well, throughout the length and breadth of Plym- 
outh County and on Cape Cod. 

In a consideration of the automobile as a factor of distri- 
bution, it should be borne in mind that the short-distance 
runs, as well as the long, extend farther out from a centre 
of population than driving has ever done, for the reason 
that the machine has wonderfully extended the radius of 
travel for pleasure, absolutely as well as relatively, over 
that of the ])ast. The inner towns of the new moth terri- 
tory since 1900 are more thoroughly infested than those 
farther out, largely as a result of the quite regular and con- 
stant short-distance automobiling from the heart of the old 
badly infested moth district, which is constantly using the 
same highways and reaching the same objective points. 

The considerable infestations at New])uryport, Rockport 
and Plymouth, all remote from the badly infested central 
district, which might seem at first to furnish an exception to 
this rule, in reality prove it. These places are objective 
points for much automobiling, and so in the natural course 
of events have become dangerously infested with the gypsy 
moth . 

It is most unfortunate that the height of the automobiling 
season coincides with the period of greatest abundance of 
gypsy moth caterpillars. It has seemed desirable to collect 
data on the number of automobiles and other vehicles 
passing certain points in the infested district during a single 
day in the hours usually devoted to pleasure riding. The 
figures given below were obtained in the fall months, and 
would have been very much larger had a similar count 
been made during the months of May and June. 



Locality. 


Automobiles. 


Carriages, etc. 


Arlington Square, 

Medford Square, . . . . . . 

Saugus (turnpike), 

Newton (boulevard), ...... 

Quincy Square, 

Franklin Park (Blue Hill Avenue), . 


443 
256 
92 
630 
264 
724 


952 

655 
88 
170 
347 
961 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 151 

Cutting Worthless Trees. 

Dr. Charles S. Sargent, the celebrated arboriculturist, says, 
"There are too many trees in the metropolitan district," 
meaning, of course, that there are many trees which have 
never received the care and attention necessary to insure 
their best growth and development. Aside from the un- 
desirable species, such as the wild cherry and scrub apple 
tree, there are not wanting trees on the majority of private 
estates that never receive the slightest care or attention. 
Never pruned, never fertilized, unprotected from damage by 
horses and thoroughly infested l)y insect pests, such trees 
either should !)e properly cared for or else removed. Since 
the moth pests have now become thoroughly established in 
eastern Massachusetts, it should be laid down as a rule that 
no man should be allowed to maintain more trees than he 
can properly care for. A thrifty, vigorous tree, protecteid 
from insect injury, is a delight to the eye, and adds to the 
value of the property on w^hich it stands ; a neglected, in- 
jured, diseased tree is an offensive object, reflects adversely 
on those who allow such conditions to prevail, and in the 
moth district actually depreciates the value of real estate. 
Thus we are led to urge the general cutting of worthless, 
diseased and uncared-for trees. 

We yield to no one in our admiration of the beautiful in 
nature as exemplified in vigorous tree life ; but we cannot 
see the wisdom of allowing worthless growths to remain by 
roadsides or in back yards and lots, to breed the pests from 
which we are striving to protect our streets and residential 
districts. 

The co-operation of many citizens in the work against 
the gypsy moth has been evidenced within a few months in 
a striking way by the extensive cutting dowm of such old or 
worthless trees throughout the infested district. Many old 
apple orchards of dead or dying trees have disappeared from 
the landscape while scattering trees too few to be dignified 
with the name of orchard, which had outlived their useful- 
ness, have similarly vanished. Every one will recall the 
frequency of occurrence in the thickly populated section of 



152 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

eastern Massachusetts of old, decayed, hollow apple trees, 
the last remnants of once flourishing orchards, standing in 
vacant lots or along roadsides in city or town outskirts. 
Such unsightly trees have been always notorious breeding 
places for the moths, and their destruction is a distinct 
help in the progress of the work against these pests. In ad- 
dition to the removal of such worthless trees, a great number 
of other trees have been improved by the beneficial pruning 
of dead or decayed limbs, and the closing of cavities, for 
the reason, primarily, that these furnished shelter for the 
moths. Not only apple trees, but also decayed or other- 
wise unsightly shade trees and worthless trees, such as wild 
cherries, have been cut down to further the present campaign 
against the moth pests. A judicious thinning out of trees 
that grew too thickly in yards or along roadsides has also 
taken place. By this means a double benefit has been 
brought about ; first, to the moth suppressive work, for the 
reason that every tree removed is one tree less to handle 
with reference to the moths ; and, second, to the trees left 
standing, which, by the removal of some of their number, 
were given room for development. 

Badly infested tracts of woodland also have frequently 
been cut down, as the most eflective and summary means of 
doing away with intolerable conditions, and with the added 
purpose of saving expense in the long run to the owner. 
While this has resulted in denuding land here and there, it 
has been the ready means of relief for the citizens atilicted, 
and has aided most materially the work of clearing the 
moths from near-by or adjoining public lands. This cutting 
has been generally on low-cost woods which would eventu- 
ally be removed, when the land which was being held for a 
rise in values and had been already cut up into house lots 
in expectation of the growth of the community would be 
built upon. 

When land has not been entirely denuded of woods, there 
has been often much judicious thinning out of trees, which 
has resulted in a distinct benefit to those left standing, on a 
principle familiar to every forester. 

In addition to trees, a great deal of useless smaller 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT— Xo. 78. 153 

growth and bushes, not only along roadsides and on vacant 
lots but also in yards and cultivated fields, has been removed, 
for the reason either that it was exposed to infestation by 
the moths or was already infested. Along with this removal 
of trees and brush has gone on nuich general clearing up of 
estates, such as the burning of old brush heaps, doing away 
with dumps, removal of rubbish and cleaning up of vacant 
lots. To give a concrete instance, in the city of Melrose, 
where the suppressive work has been pushed with vigor by 
the local superintendent, there were gathered on private 
and public grounds twenty-seven cart loads of tin cans, — 
notorious nesting places for gypsy moths. 

Work of Contractors. 

Owing to the difficulties which attend the efforts of private 
citizens in combating the moths, such as lack of suitable ap- 
paratus and of special knowledge of the insects, it is not 
strange that in eastern Massachusetts there has sprung up a 
new industry, and that many individuals and concerns are 
now engaged in the business of destroying the pests, both 
on public and private grounds. Over a dozen concerns are 
so engaged, together with scores of individual workers. 
Many of these have done most efficient work. The superin- 
tendent has prepared a list of contractors who on their rec- 
ords are believed to be reliable and efficient, and has supplied 
it to inquirers upon request. 

It is greatly regretted that along with this development of 
a legitimate enterprise numerous irresponsible persons have 
enffag-ed in the business, with the result that manv citizens, 
desirous of destroying the moth pests on their property, 
have been badly swindled. A great deal of ineflScient work 
has thus been done, and, as a consequence, many proi)erty 
owners have been discouraged from employing reputable 
contractors. In a few cases, where suitable evidence could 
be secured, the superintendent has been instrumental in 
having certain swindlers put into court. Lacking any spe- 
cific control over the situation, the policy of publicity has 
seemed to be the only remedy, and we have not hesitated to 
expose persons known to be unreliable. 



154 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

Desirable Shade Trees. 

Since the gypsy and brown-tail moths have been allowed 
to multiply unrestrained throughout the district, certain 
natural preferences of the insects in the way of food plants 
have been noticed which had hitherto escaped observation. 
It has been found that certain species of trees are to a 
notable extent fairly exeni))t from damage by these moths. 
Thus it is apparent, therefore, that in planting such trees 
it is possible to select several species which will be less 
troubled by these insects than those commonly in use. 

Perhaps the most notable example of relative freedom from 
damage by the moths is found in the case of the white ash. 
The leaves of this tree do not lend themselves readily to the 
construction of brown-tail moth wel)s, while the gypsy moth 
does not feed upon it to any extent so long as other trees 
are available. In fact, in the badly stripped woodland areas 
last summer the comparative exemption of the white ash 
from damage w^as very noticeable. It was found that in 
areas of several acres the only trees retaining even a part of 
their foliage were those of this species. Since the white ash 
makes a rapid grow^th and is otherwise desirable as a shade 
tree, it seems advisal)le to make a more liberal use of this 
tree for planting purposes along streets, in parks and on 
private estates in the infested district. 

The soft maple, or, as it is more commonly known, the 
red maple, also shows a consideral)le degree of freedom from 
attack by both insects. While it is not uncommon to find 
the nest of either species of moth on this tree, yet at the same 
time it deserves to stand in the second rank. The smooth 
])ark of this maple offers but little shelter to the caterpillars, 
particularly on the younger trees, wdiile the brown-tail moth 
webs are not easily formed in its foliage. 

Various species of hickory are but little sought by the 
gypsy moth caterpillars, and are practically free from brown- 
tail moth webs as well. It is to be stated, however, that in 
the case of the older trees of this class the rough bark offers 
an excellent hiding place for gypsy moth caterpillars, and the 
latter insect pupates freely under the shelter of the bark. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 73. 155 

This tree has also the disadvantage of making a relatively 
slow growth, and often is not as desirable for planting as 
the ash. 

New Methods. 

It is in some ways remarkable that in the period that has 
elai)sed since the cessation of the former State work against 
the moths but few new methods of work against the pest 
have been developed. One might have thought that, with 
so many hundreds if not thousands of intelligent property 
owners engaged in protecting their trees from damage, some 
few at least would have hit upon a new or more economical 
means of performing at least a part of the work. 

The only method absolutely new is that brought out by 
Superintendent Charles P. Price of the Middlesex Fells 
Reservation, to prevent the crossing of roads by the cater- 
pillar swarms. It often happens in woodland that large 
caterpillar colonies swarm from the stripped areas across roads 
into woods that are in good foliage. Mr. Price to some extent 
has been able to prevent this by a small windrow of marsh hay 
sprinkled with low-grade burning oil. These windrows are 
continued along the roadside, and when frequently treated 
with oil form a barrier over which the insects cannot pass. 

The banding of trees with sticky materials to prevent the 
ascent of caterpillars, while long used abroad and adopted 
in the years of the former State work, has received a new 
impetus from the development of a most excellent compound, 
"Tanglefoot," which was extensively used the past year, 
and in many cases w'ith most satisfactory results. The suc- 
cessful use of any banding material presupposes that the 
trees have been freed from the moth in the first place, either 
through nest destruction or by spraying. Nothing is gained 
by banding trees already infested. On the other hand, 
trees previously cleared of the moth, but standing in a badly 
infested district, may be [)rotected in a great measure by 
banding. This method is particularly serviceable in wood- 
lands and on street trees where the latter stand in or near a 
badly infested spot. Promiscuous banding of street trees 
without reference to surrounding conditions is not to be 
recommended. 



156 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 

A great objection to many banding materials is found in 
the fact that some of them, if left on through the late summer 
and fall, ultimately injure and sometimes kill the tree. This, 
of course, is most noticeable with young or thin-barked 
trees. So far as our observations go, the "Tanglefoot" 
bands have caused no injury. Another season will yield 
conclusive evidence on this point. 

There is no better or cheaper way to control either moth 
pest than by spraying, where conditions fovor this work. 
Street trees, orchards and easily accessible woodland areas 
can usually be sprayed to advantage where time permits. 
The great impediment to wholesale spraying, however, is 
found in the fact that it can be done to advantage only 
in the period between May 15 and June 30 at the latest 
(usually June 15), and this limited space of time is often 
still further reduced by rains, so that as a rule but four 
weeks on the average are available for this work. The 
superintendent has repeatedly urged on the badly infested 
municipalities the wisdom of purchasing one or more power 
spraying outfits, so that next season we may take full advan- 
tage of a method, which, from the late date at which opera- 
tions were begun this year, Avas out of the question. 

An excellent illustration of spraying methods as applied 
to woodlands was given at Melrose in the latter part of May 
by the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, 
under the direction of Superintendent J. A. Pettigrew of 
the Boston park department. These spraying operations 
attracted a great deal of attention, and were witnessed by a 
large number of park superintendents, tree wardens and 
other interested citizens. Unfortunately, the success of the 
experiment was adversely affected by the severe infestations 
in the surrounding woodland, but the result of this demon- 
stration was to arouse a o-reater interest in this method of 
fighting the moths. It is the hope of the superintendent 
that, with the opportunities now offered to purchase power 
sprayers at a moderate price, spraying will become more 
generally adopted by the local superintendents of moth 
work in cities and towns. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 73. 157 



National Aid. 

The pro1)lem of moth control is no longer confined to a 
single State ; three States are infested by the gypsy moth and 
four by the brown-tail moth. If any permanent headway is 
to be made against these insects, co-operation between the 
States is a prerequisite condition ; and this, it would ajjpear, 
can be best obtained through the assistance of the national 
government. 

In the case of the brown-tail moth there is no hope of 
exterminating it, and even its control in ^voodlands is out 
of the question, because of the expense involved. As pre- 
viously pointed out, this insect can be easily destroyed, even 
by unskilled persons, and there is no good reason why 
property owners should not be able to protect their shade 
and "fruit trees from it. Further than this they cannot go 
without incurring, in the majority of cases, unwarranted 
expense. 

With the gypsy moth the case is different. Here we have 
a slowly spreading insect, as yet confined to a limited section 
of New England. With sufficient funds it can be held in 
check. Without means for a thorough campaign of sup- 
pression, a further spreading is bound to take place. This 
insect attacks not a single crop, as does the cotton boll 
weevil, already the cause of large expenditures of national 
funds, but all fruit, shade and forest trees ; it threatens our 
orchards, street trees and parks ; in woodlands it leaves behind 
dead pines, spruces and other conifers while many of the 
deciduous trees eventually succumb. 

Massachusetts has proven beyond any question or doubt 
that this pest can be controlled. At one time she gave to 
the nation an example of the successful solution of the 
greatest problem in applied entomology ever known, — 
although ceasing too soon her efforts. She has shown the 
faith that is within her by an unprecedented expenditure of 
funds to preserve her trees. In protecting herself she has 
protected at least the rest of New England. If ever a State 
was entitled to national aid in a worthy cause, that State is 
Massachusetts. 



158 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL :\rOTHS. [Jan. 

Outlook for Control. 

It is never well to underestimate the strength of an an- 
tagonist. In fighting the gypsy moth we must take into 
consideration its insidious habits, its great powers of multi- 
plication, the ease with which it is now accidentally spread, 
and the cost and difficulties involved in destroying it even 
on small estates. These difiiculties are multiplied many fold 
by the conditions existing in thousands of acres of severely 
infested woodland. The citizens of the State are paying the 
bills for fighting the moth ; it is their money in one way or 
another which is being used to prosecute this work ; and, in 
justice to the taxpayer, the adverse as well as the favorable 
conditions should be fully presented. 

It is evident that the present act will not, even with closest 
economy, yield more than sufficient revenue to suppress the 
gypsy and brown-tail moths on public trees and in resi- 
dential sections. The petitioners for legislation against the 
moths, having a knowledge of the fact that the gypsy moth 
occurred in 43 cities and towns, while the brown-tail had 
extended its domain over nearly one-half the State, asked 
the Legislature to appropriate $600,000 for three years' work, 
above the sums to be raised by local taxation. But at the 
present time there are 124 municipalities which are known 
to be infested by the gypsy moth, while the brown-tail moth 
is rapidly spreading, and we have only $300,000 of State 
appropriation with which to accomplish the desired results. 
It is obvious that with one-half the required funds but one- 
half the work can be done. We believe that under present 
conditions we can prevent a farther spreading of the gypsy 
moth into non-infested territory, and can largely control 
damage from either pest on street trees and in residential 
districts. Owing to the late date at which the work began 
in 1905, the success of our eflbrts in this direction will not 
be determined until after the caterpillar season of next year 
and the fall ins[)ection. 

As a matter of fact, we shall be unable to clear even the 
residential sections of the moths, unless we can have in lib- 
eral measure the hearty co-operation of all citizens. So far 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — ^o. 73. 159 

as the work on private estates is concerned, if the disposi- 
tion now in evidence on the part of many to take refuge 
under the " half of one per cent" clause is to be generally 
followed, the State may as well stop the work now' ; since, 
unless citizens will co-operate with local and State authori- 
ties, and i)crfonn their full duty not only to themselves but 
to their neighbors, no permanent benefit can be obtained. 

The outlook for controlling the gypsy and brown-tail 
moths is hopeful within the limits previously mentioned. It 
will, of course, be impossible to attack the moths in the wood- 
lands generally until suitable funds are available ; but the 
scattering of the gypsy moth can be stopped, our street trees 
protected and our residential sections kept partially free from 
damage by the swarming caterpillars, even with the present 
reduced appropriation. But to accomplish this there must 
be no faltering along the line ; there must be no apathy or 
indifl'erence on the part of any one concerned. A chain is 
no stronger than its Aveakest link ; and to bring success, 
thorough and efficient work must be done in each and every 
infested municipality. This is an effort made for the pres- 
ervation of our shade trees, fruit trees and woodlands ; their 
safety is threatened by attacks of serious insect pests. 
Sound business policy in any enterprise requires the employ- 
ment of the most efficient men for a given rate of wages, and 
the purchase of supplies at bottom market prices. No other 
rule of procedure should ol)tain in carrying out the provi- 
sions of the gypsy and the brown-tail moth act. If there 
ever was a public enterprise which ought to be kept free from 
local political considerations, and handled in a thoroughly 
business-like manner, it is the work against the gypsy and 
brown-tail moths. If we can have the whole-hearted inter- 
est and support of the public, if we can have effective and 
economical local administrations of work, and if the central 
office does its full duty, then the pests can be ])rought under 
control, and our parks, street trees and private grounds 
preserved from harm. 

The success of this undertaking does not depend alone 
upon the central organization ; it does not depend upon the 
man in charge of any particular city or town, nor upon any 



160 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL :\10TIIS. [Jan. 

individual citizen ; but it does depend upon the business- 
like, sincere, hearty co-operation of all concerned in sup- 
pressing the moths and preserving our trees. In short, the 
moth pests can be suppressed if all work together with a 
common purpose and for a common end. No city or town 
can be allowed to slight this important work : no citizen 
should be permitted to maintain a nuisance, to his neighbor's 
annoyance or detriment. 

Recommendations . 

It is too early as yet to state with any degree of complete- 
ness the possible amendments which may be required to the 
act under which we are working ; but, to secure a greater 
uniformity and efficiency of action throughout the infested 
district, it is apparent to the superintendent that certain 
minor changes at least are desirable. As yet the act has 
not been tested sufficiently in all its details to develop any 
insurmountable difficulties in its execution, with a single ex- 
ception, viz., the omission of the word "caterpillars'" from 
sections 4 and 6. 

The superintendent, however, presents for your consider- 
ation the following proposed changes in the existing law, as 
based upon the experience of the past six months : — 

1. The State superintendent, as well as those locally in 
charge of the work in cities and towns, should be given suffi- 
cient authority to prevent the use of ineflective measures 
against the moths, or of those which tend to distribute the 
insects. Several irresponsible contractors have swept gypsy 
moth egg clusters from the trees to the ground, or left 
brown-tail moth webs lying on the ground, in spite of the 
fact that it is well known that such eggs or webs will yield 
a large percentage of caterpillars to reinfest the trees. 

2. The State and local authorities should be given power 
to control as may be necessary the transportation of wood, 
timber and any other objects infested by the moth pests. 
At the present time any one may ship from the central dis- 
trict a carload of infested wood to any point in Massachusetts 
or other State, there to establish a new moth colony. The 
authority to prevent such a disaster the superintendent 
deems of the highest importance. 



1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. 161 

3. As the present act is worded, work aguinst gypsy or 
brown-tail moth caterpillars cannot be made compulsory 
either in the case of cities or towns or on private estates. 
The omission of the word " caterpillars" in the act, doubt- 
less the result of oversight, should be remedied, since other- 
wise the purpose of the act may be defeated. 

4. The superintendent is of the opinion that the act 
should be so amended as to clearly place the appointing 
power of the local superintendent in the hands of mayors 
of cities and selectmen of towns. As the matter stands at 
present, the legal right of selectmen to appoint local super- 
intendents without calling a special town meeting is not 
clearly established. 

5. It seems advisable to extend the provisions of the civil 
service act to all those engaged under chapter 381, Acts of 
1905, in the work of suppressing the moths. A practical, 
competitive examination should result in securing a list of 
employees possessing good eyesight and })hysical ability to 
climb trees, both qualifications indispensable in the field 
work. 

6. Finally and most important, it should be said that if 
the purposes of the act are to be carried out throughout the 
greatly enlarged infested district, an additional appropria- 
tion equal to that of 1906 will be necessary. The funds 
availa])le are about suflScient to keep street and public trees 
free from the moths. With the present appropriation but 
little work can be done on private estates in excess of the 
owners' liability and practically none in the infested wood- 
lands, which are the chief source of danger. 

Respectfully submitted, 

A. H. KIRKLAND, 

Superintendent. 



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